TRANSPORT

Aviation: India

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution to the UK economy of direct flights between the UK and the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Simon Burns: The Government do not make assessments of the value to the UK of specific air routes. The overall objective for the UK's air services negotiations is to seek to put in place liberal arrangements so that airlines have the freedom to operate services based on their own commercial decisions and assessment of market demand.
	There are no restrictions on the routes that may be operated between the UK and India but passenger services on UK-Delhi and UK-Mumbai are limited to 56 services per week by the airlines of each side, services on UK-Chennai and UK-Bangalore are limited to 14 services per week by the airlines of each side and services between any other city pair are limited to seven services per week by the airlines of each side.

Biofuels

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward his review of the double certificate scheme and support provided under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation for sustainable biofuels made from waste cooking oil.

Norman Baker: We have committed to undertake a review in 2013 of the double certificate scheme and support provided under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO). In 2013 we will have completed the first full obligation year under an amended RTFO. This is the right time for the review as we will have the data necessary to help us consider what the effect of double certification has been. I have asked for the review to be progressed as soon as data are available. It is too soon to determine the longer term trend of certificate prices which are influenced by a range of factors.

Bus Services

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Office of Fair Trading, (b) local transport authorities and (c) bus companies regarding partnership working on local bus services.

Norman Baker: I regularly meet with representatives of local transport authorities and bus companies and impress upon them the importance of working together in partnership to improve bus services for passengers. This includes the bi-annual Bus Partnership Forum I chair. The Department for Transport is working with the Office of Fair Trading in providing a forum for local transport authorities and bus companies to consider the competition implications of partnership working.

Bus Services: EU Action

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to ensure that EU Regulation 181/2011 is enforced with respect to the provision of travel information to bus and coach passengers throughout their journeys; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: Article 28 of the EU regulation requires that each member state shall designate a new or existing body or bodies responsible for the enforcement of the regulation and that this enforcement body shall take the measures necessary to ensure compliance with the regulation.
	Given their existing role in regulating the system of bus operator licensing, we are proposing that independently appointed Traffic Commissioners will be designated as the national enforcement body in respect of bus/coach operators and terminal managing bodies and therefore responsible for the enforcement of all relevant provisions of the EU regulation, including article 24 on the right to travel information.
	This approach was outlined in our recent public consultation exercise on the application of EU Regulation 181/2011 which closed on 11 October 2012.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Post Offices

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received in favour of ensuring the availability of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority services at post offices.

Stephen Hammond: The Department has received two parliamentary questions and 495 letters from hon. Members and Members of the devolved Administrations in favour of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency maintaining services at the post offices. In addition, 62 letters from members of the public and nearly 2,000 campaign postcards have been received.

Electric Vehicles: Safety

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to protect road users from the risk of collision with quiet electric and hybrid cars; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on legislative proposals for the mandatory installation of acoustic vehicle alert systems on electric and hybrid cars; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is working with international bodies to develop recommendations on adding artificial sound to quiet vehicles. These recommendations are expected to specify the characteristic of the sound and the vehicle speed up to which the sound should be generated, so that levels from electric and conventional vehicles are similar. The Department recently published a research report on the audibility of electric vehicles which can be found at the following link:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/assessing-the-perceived-safety-risk-from-quiet-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles/PPR525-assessing-the-perceived-safety-risk-from-quiet-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles.pdf
	I have met with Guide Dogs and RNIB to discuss adding artificial sound to electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The Department has also received correspondence requesting the mandatory fitment of added sound devices, most recently from Guide Dogs. However, if such systems were mandatory, we will need to ensure that fitment is cost-effective, and that while assisting the visually impaired road users does not add to general sound pollution that is damaging to health.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the proportion of passengers arriving at Heathrow who transfer to (a) short-haul and (b) long-haul routes.

Simon Burns: Information on the characteristics and routes of passengers using Heathrow airport is available from the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Survey. Based on the 2011 survey, it is estimated that approximately 15% of passengers arriving at Heathrow in 2011 transferred onto a short-haul flight and 18% transferred onto a long-haul flight.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) business and (b) tourist passengers arrived at London Heathrow Airport in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Based on data from the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Survey, it is estimated that approximately 11 million business passengers arrived at Heathrow in 2011 and 24 million passengers who were travelling for leisure purposes, including visiting friends and relatives.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) terminating and (b) transfer passengers arrived at London Heathrow Airport on night quota period flights in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The Department uses data from the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Survey to understand the characteristics and routes of passengers at Heathrow airport. The number of passengers surveyed during the night quota period is very small and would not provide a reliable estimate of the total number of passengers who are terminating or transferring at that time.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) UK resident and (b) non-UK resident passengers arrived at London Heathrow Airport on night quota period flights in the last year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The Department uses data from the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Survey to understand the characteristics and routes of passengers at Heathrow airport. The number of passengers surveyed during the night quota period is very small and would not provide a reliable estimate of the total number of passengers who are UK resident or non-UK resident travelling at that time.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the speech given by the Prime Minister to the CBI on 19 November 2012, whether he intends to (a) reduce and (b) cancel planned consultations by his Department or HS2 Ltd in the next two years.

Simon Burns: The Government remains committed to its decision to proceed with HS2, the most significant transport infrastructure project in the UK since the building of the motorways. We also understand the significant impacts that will come with its construction and want to ensure that the views of those affected are fully considered in the development of our proposals and subsequent decisions.
	As such, the forthcoming consultations on HS2 are being planned in line with the Government's new Consultation Principles and will include the interim compensation arrangements for property owners affected by Phase 2, a draft Environmental Statement for Phase 1 and the preferred route for Phase 2.

London Airports

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to bring forward proposals to amend or repeal grandfather rights of airport slots at slot co-ordinated airports serving London.

Simon Burns: The Government do not have any plans to amend or repeal the so called grandfather rights principle in relation to the allocation of airport slots at slot co-ordinated airports serving London. The allocation of slots at slot co-ordinated airports in UK is governed by EU law.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he estimates will be spent on the development event being organised for staff of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in December 2012.

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency estimates the cost of its development event will be around £56,000. That is the equivalent of around £103 per delegate per day and includes all meals and accommodation costs. The development event will provide delegates with leadership skills training and coaching in line with the principles set out in the Civil Service Reform Plan.

Official Cars

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture and (d) carbon emissions in grammes per kilometre is of each vehicle provided by the Government Car Service to each Government department.

Stephen Hammond: The following table lists the main departmental pool cars provided to each Department through service level agreements.
	
		
			 Department Make Model Year of manufacture CO2 g/km 
			 Cabinet Office Jaguar XJ 2011 189 
			  Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Business Innovation and Skills Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Communities and Local Government Land Rover Discovery 2012 230 
			  Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Environment and Climate Change Toyota Prius—Plug in hybrid 2010 59 
			 Environment Food and Rural Affairs Land Rover Discovery 2012 230 
			 Education Jaguar XJ 2011 189 
			 Transport Land Rover Discovery 2012 230 
			  Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Health Jaguar XJ 2012 189 
			 HM Treasury Land Rover Discovery 2012 230 
			  Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Home Office Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Attorney-General's Office Jaguar XJ 2011 189 
			 Ministry of Justice Jaguar XJ 2011 189 
			 Northern Ireland Office Toyota Avensis 2012 165 
			 Wales Office Jaguar XJ 2011 189 
			 Culture, Media and Sport Toyota Avensis 2012 165

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in his Department are paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Norman Baker: The number of employees in the Department for Transport paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 since May 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 £80,000 to £99,999 69 67 63 
			 >£100,000 47 33 30

Railways: Franchises

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs have been incurred by his Department and its agencies in the franchising and tendering of passenger rail services since 1994.

Simon Burns: The Department has not been able to capture precise historic costs by franchise and tendering of rail services.
	In the past, when a rail service has been tendered, permanent staff members have been seconded to work on this project for its duration and return to other duties following its completion. These members of staff came from many parts of the Department (e.g. Procurement, Rail Commercial, Franchise Specification, Legal, and Finance) and their costs were captured within their substantive areas of work and have not been separated by project.
	Over the last few weeks the Department has captured its internal and external costs incurred on the InterCity West Coast procurement competition. These are expected to be published by the NAO in their report on the termination of this procurement competition in due course.

Roads: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on roads in Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport provides funding to local authorities, which can be used for roads, through the highways maintenance and integrated transport block grants. This funding is not ring-fenced and allows authorities, including Shropshire County Council, who are responsible for the local road network within the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, the freedom to develop and implement solutions which best suit their priorities.
	The following table highlights the funding the Department for Transport has allocated in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011 to Shropshire County Council, as local highway authority and also shows how much the Highways Agency, who are responsible for the motorway and strategic road network, has spent within the constituency on highways maintenance schemes.
	
		
			 Funding Stream 2010/11 £m 2011/12 £m 
			 Integrated Transport Block (Shropshire County Council) 2.869 1.855 
			 Local Highways Maintenance Block (Shropshire County Council) 15.279 13.518 
			 Additional Funding for Potholes (Shropshire County Council) 1.517 3.616 
		
	
	
		
			 Revenue Detrunking (Shropshire County Council) 0.711 0 
			 Highways Agency Maintenance expenditure (within Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency) 0.545 0.942

Roads: Snow and Ice

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest assessment is of the potential resilience of the UK to adverse weather in terms of reserves of road salt over the winter period.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has worked with local and national partners to improve winter resilience, ensuring that that this country entered the winter season well prepared.
	Following a survey conducted by the Department at the end of October 2012, the total level of road salt stock being held in Great Britain is estimated to be 2.7 million tonnes, including national strategic road salt stockpiles. This is a good level of resilience but we are not complacent. That is why we continue to work closely with highway authorities to monitor road salt stocks and recently reminded authorities about guidance to enable them to make the best use of their salt supplies.

Shrewsbury Station

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds from the public purse have been spent on Shrewsbury railway station in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not directly funded any work from the public purse at Shrewsbury railway station in either 2010 or 2011. However, Network Rail and Arriva Trains Wales spent a total of £1.06m on repairs and renewals at the station during the financial years 2009/10 to 2011/12.
	As part of the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP), a new waiting room and customer help desk on the island platform will be delivered during 2013 at an estimated cost of £0.25m.

World War II: Anniversaries

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic in 2013.

Stephen Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), on 21 November 2012, Official Report, column 498W.

CABINET OFFICE

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) car thefts, (b) burglaries and (c) violent crimes were reported in (i) Suffolk and (ii) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question.
	The two main sources of crime statistics are police recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The preferred source of crime data at police force area is police recorded crime.
	Police recorded crime figures are provided for these crime types for the last five financial years (April to March) for Suffolk police force area and for England and Wales.
	These figures have been published by ONS and the latest year's data are available in tables accompanying the quarterly crime statistics published in July 2012. This statistical bulletin is available on the ONS website here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/index.html
	
		
			 Recorded crime for selected offences in Suffolk and England and Wales, 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			 Number of recorded incidents 
			   Violence against the person offences Total burglary Burglary in a dwelling Burglary in a building other than a dwelling Theft of a motor vehicle 
			 Suffolk 2007-08 9,413 5,060 1,762 3,298 1,238 
			  2008-09 9,434 4,658 1,650 3,008 908 
			  2009-10 10,117 5,341 1,889 3,452 829 
			  2010-11 10,190 5,353 2,006 3,347 785 
			  2011-12 10,167 5,159 1,967 3,192 746 
			        
			 England and Wales 2007-08 944,630 583,714 280,700 303,014 169,558 
			  2008-09 887,213 581,587 284,434 297,153 146,913 
			  2009-10 871,419 540,649 268,610 272,039 117,687 
			  2010-11 807,566 522,681 258,163 264,518 105,926 
			  2011-12 749,774 501,052 245,316 255,736 91,841

Crime: North East

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many incidents of violence against a person there have been for each type of offence in (a) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and (b) Northumbria in each of the last five years; how many drug offences there were in (i) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and (ii) Northumbria in each of the last five year by the nature of the offence; and how many instances of criminal damage there were in (A) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and (B) Northumbria in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of incidents of violence against the person, criminal damage and drug offences in (a) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and (b) Northumbria in each of the last five years. (129255)
	Police recorded crime figures are provided for the last five financial years (April to March) for Northumbria police force area and Sunderland local authority area. Crime data are not available at parliamentary constituency level so figures for Sunderland local authority area are given in place of Houghton and Sunderland South constituency.
	The two main sources of crime statistics are police recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The preferred source of crime data at local authority and police force area is police recorded crime.
	
		
			 Sunderland local authority 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Violence against the person 4,591 4,556 4,027 3,631 3,114 
			 With injury 2,778 2,663 2,296 2,023 1,572 
			 Without injury 1,813 1,893 1,731 1,608 1,542 
			       
			 Drug offences 873 1,202 1,060 1,144 1,110 
			       
			 Criminal damage 6,841 6,177 5,192 4,465 3,822 
		
	
	
		
			 Northumbria police force area 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Violence against the person 19,545 19,147 16,837 15,056 12,862 
			 With injury 11,033 10,488 8,930 7,914 6,510 
			 Without injury 8,512 8,659 7,907 7,142 6,352 
			       
			 Drug offences 4,592 5,166 4,714 5,002 5,385 
			       
			 Criminal damage 29,758 27,178 22,551 18,240 15,127 
		
	
	These data have been published by ONS and are available from the ‘Recorded crime data at local authority level from 2002/03’ and ‘Recorded crime data at police force area level from 2002/03’ tables available here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-274949

Fraud: Credit Cards

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many recorded offences of credit card fraud there were in each of the last three years; what the estimated cost was of those offences; and what proportion of those offences resulted in a conviction.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many recorded offences of credit card fraud there were in each of the last three years; what the estimated cost was of those offences; and what proportion of those offences resulted in a conviction. (129248)
	In the police recorded crime series for England and Wales, credit card fraud is not separately identifiable as such crimes will be recorded within the broader offence group of “Fraud by false representation: cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts”. The number of these offences recorded by the police for the last three financial years can be found in the table below.
	
		
			 Number of offences of fraud by false representation: cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts recorded by the police in England and Wales 
			 Financial year Number of offences 
			 2009-10 27,148 
			 2010-11 24,942 
			 2011-12 22,694 
			 Source: Police Recorded Crime, Home Office. 
		
	
	These data have previously been published by the ONS in Appendix Table A4 released alongside the quarterly release of National Statistics on crime. The link to the appendix tables can be found on the ONS website here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/stb-crime-stats-end-march-2012.html
	The ONS have not estimated the cost of these offences but do publish information for plastic card fraud losses from the UK Cards Association in the quarterly crime statistics publications to give a fuller picture of crime:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-june-2012/stb-crime-in-england-and-wales--year-ending-june-2012.html#tab-Fraud
	Police recorded crime figures for Scotland are published at:
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice and data for Northern Ireland are published at:
	http://www.psni.police.uk/index/updates/updates_statistics/update_crime_statistics.htm
	Fraud offences are known to be under reported to the police, so the ONS have recently started publishing new data sources on fraud in the quarterly crime statistics publications. Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau are included in ONS crime statistics publications, and provide an estimate of the number of banking and payment related frauds involving cheque, plastic card and online bank accounts in the UK, including offences not reported to the police. This dataset is sourced from Action Fraud and industry sources and is still under development. It is published in Appendix Table A5, available from the following link:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/stb-crime-stats-end-march-2012.html
	Information is not held centrally on the proportion of credit card fraud offences resulting in conviction. The Ministry of Justice are responsible for data on convictions and have published a table showing the number of convictions for the broader offence group of Fraud and Forgery in England and Wales over the last ten years. This is available from the conviction tables at the link below:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics

Government Departments: Computer Networks

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential for wider use of the Government secure intranet; and what plans he has for future procurement in that area.

Nick Hurd: Government Secure Intranet (GSi) is a legacy infrastructure which is being phased out.
	We are, through the Government's ICT Strategy, introducing a 'Public Sector Network' (PSN) to bring together the multiple, separate existing networks into one, standards-based network for the whole UK public sector.

Government Departments: Procurement

Michael Connarty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will review Government procurement policies in order to exclude any supplier which employs an unlawful travel and subsistence scheme.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell) on 19 November 2012, Official Report, column 253W.

Knives: Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed as a result of knife crime offences in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Bedfordshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire, (iv) Essex, (v) Hertfordshire and (vi) Norfolk in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed as a result of knife crime offences in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Bedfordshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire, (iv) Essex, (v) Hertfordshire and (vi) Norfolk in each of the last three years. (129251)
	The Office for National Statistics publishes data on the number of offences recorded by the police involving a knife or sharp instrument, for selected violent and sexual offence types. Knives or sharp instruments are taken to be involved in an incident if they are used to stab or cut, or as a threat, and thus this dataset covers more than just injury. These data are provided for the last three financial years (April to March) for the police forces areas in question in table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1: Knife and sharp instrument offences recorded by the police for selected violent and sexual offences(1), 2009/10 to 2011/12, for selected police force areas 
			 Police force area 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Bedfordshire 390 394 385 
			 Cambridgeshire 360 289 237 
			 Essex 679 530 338 
			 Hertfordshire 128 143 113 
			 Norfolk 201 152 94 
			 Suffolk 178 177 190 
			 (1) Includes offences of attempted murder, threats to kill, ABH and GBH, robbery, rape and sexual assaults (including indecent assault on a male/female and sexual assault on a male/female). Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office 
		
	
	The number of homicide offences recorded by the police involving a knife or sharp instrument is provided the police force areas in question in table 2. The latest published data on homicides cover the period up to 2010/11. Data for 2011/12 are due to be published by ONS in February 2013.
	
		
			 Table 2: Homicides recorded by the police involving a knife or sharp instrument, 2009/10-2010/11, for selected police force areas 
			 Police force area 2009/10 2010/11 
			 Bedfordshire 2 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 2 
			 Essex 3 6 
			 Hertfordshire 3 6 
			 Norfolk 4 4 
			 Suffolk 4 2 
			 Note: Figures represent the number of homicides recorded by the police as at 13 June 2012; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and the courts, or as further information becomes available. Source: Homicide Index, Home Office 
		
	
	Data for 2011/12 on selected offences involving a knife and sharp instrument (as presented in table 1) have been published by ONS in the data tables accompanying the quarterly crime statistics released in July 2012. This statistical bulletin is available on the ONS website here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2012/index.html
	Due to the small number of offences recorded, data on homicides involving a knife and sharp instrument are not routinely published at police force area level.

Low Pay

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) the UK and (b) North East England are paid less than the living wage.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) the UK and (b) North East England are paid less than the living wage. (129366)
	On 22 November, the latest earnings information from the 2012 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings will become available, and the question will be answered using this latest information. The honourable member will be contacted directly with the answer, as soon as it is available, and a copy of the fetter placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Public Sector: Procurement

David Hanson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2012, Official Report, column 324W, on public sector procurement, what steps he is taking to ensure that public funds spent on Government construction contracts are paid by contractors to subcontractors that are owed them; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: After May 2010 this Government introduced extensive reforms of public procurement to streamline the process and to create a more level playing field where SMEs can more easily compete for and win business. As part of this work we have instructed Departments to monitor prime contractors' performance against the 30 day commitment to pay sub-contractors as part of the contract management process. We have also introduced a 'Mystery Shopper' service which allows us to investigate instances of late payment and we publish these cases on our website.
	I am pleased to say that on 13 November, the National Specialist Contractors Council paid tribute to the work done by the Government in ensuring prompt payment in construction by naming the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), as one of its Fair Payment Champions.
	This recognises the effectiveness of the steps we are taking to ensure sub-contractors are paid on time, such as using Project Bank Accounts to make direct payments to firms down to tier 3 of its supply chains. Where Project Bank Accounts are not used, we specify in contract terms that contractors should pay their sub-contractors within 30 days, in line with the Government's Prompt Payment Code.

Public Sector: Procurement

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2012, Official Report, column 690W, on public sector: procurement, what steps he has taken to tackle late payment practices as a consequence of the Mystery Shopper scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: This Government introduced the Mystery Shopper scheme to help deal with the poor procurement practice which we inherited in May 2010.
	Mystery Shopper cases are addressed on an individual basis. Completed investigations have so far resulted in outstanding invoices being paid, amended payment terms, and processes being streamlined.
	In 2010 we reiterated our policy in central Government to pay undisputed invoices within five days and to pass 30 day payment terms down supply chains. We expect our suppliers to follow our example on prompt payment and pay their sub-contractors within the 30 day limit.
	In July 2011 MCO announced three specific actions our suppliers, Departments and SMEs themselves can take to help us achieve this goal.
	First, our Crown Representative team is encouraging prime contractors to pay more quickly than the 30 days commitment on a voluntary basis.
	Second, Departments are monitoring prime contractors' performance against the 30 day commitment to pay sub contractors as part of the contract management process.
	Third, although our policy is mandated best practice rather than a legislative requirement, we are encouraging SMEs to use the 'Mystery Shopper' service to report to Government instances where this is not happening; and we regularly publish investigated cases on the Cabinet Office website.
	The most recent report goes to May 2012, so cases investigated since then have not yet been published.

Public Sector: Procurement

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 542W, on public sector: billing, which Departments require their contractors to have signed up to the Prompt Payment Code before they are hired; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: Central Government Departments' contract terms require contractors to pay their subcontractors within 30 days in line with the Government's prompt payment code. Information is not held centrally on which Departments require suppliers to have signed up to the code itself before they are appointed.

Unemployment

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed people in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK according to the Labour Force Survey definition of unemployment in each month of 2012 to date.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the- UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of unemployed people in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK according the Labour Force Survey definition of unemployment in each month of 2012 to date (129390).
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for small areas following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Unfortunately, due to small sample sizes this data does not support analyses of unemployment for Glasgow North West constituency.
	The ONS compiles unemployment statistics for local authorities following ILO definitions using model based estimates derived from the APS and information from the Claimant Count.
	Table 1 contains model based unemployment estimates for Glasgow based on individuals who were unemployed in the week prior to interview during:
	the latest 12 month period ending June 2012
	the 12 month period ending March 2012.
	It also contains estimates for Scotland and the UK for the same periods based on the APS.
	The estimates for Scotland and the UK in table 1 differ from those published in the Labour Market Statistics bulletin, which are produced from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates accompanies the estimates for the latest period.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of people unemployed(1) 
			 Thousand 
			  12 months ending: 
			  March 2012 June 2012(2) 
			 Glasgow(3) 32 ***32 
			 Scotland(4) 213 *213 
			 United Kingdom(4) 2,539 *2,548 
			 (1) Reported as unemployed during the week prior to interview. Interviews are conducted throughout the relevant periods. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. (3) Model based estimates (4) Annual Population Survey Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Model Based Estimates; Annual Population Survey

Voluntary Work: Olympic Games 2012

David Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to make contact with Olympic and Paralympic volunteers; what plans he has to engage their continuing commitment; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Government is keen to use the momentum created by the London 2012 Games to encourage even more people to continue volunteering. We have worked with the Join In Trust and with LOCOG to build links with the Olympic and Paralympic Volunteers and are in discussions with LOCOG, who currently own the database for the majority of volunteers, about accessing the database to best keep them engaged ensuring that the volunteering and social action legacy of the games is maintained and enhanced.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Cattle: Animal Welfare

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research commissioned by his Department into the health and welfare implications of permanent housing of dairy cattle is (a) currently under way and (b) planned.

David Heath: DEFRA has funded a project entitled ‘AW1026: A study to investigate the management and welfare of continuously housed dairy cows’. The final report has been submitted and it is anticipated that it will be published early in the new year. DEFRA has not published any calls for further research on the health and welfare implications of permanent housing of dairy cattle.

Compost

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors the Environment Agency takes into consideration before issuing a permit for the siting of a windrow composting site.

Richard Benyon: The siting of new windrow composting sites is a matter for relevant planning authorities when they determine planning applications and is not determined by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee for such applications and cannot issue permits for this type of waste operation unless the sites have the necessary planning permission.
	In determining applications for permits for composting facilities, the site’s location will have a bearing on whether the Environment Agency is likely to grant a permit, the type of permit that might be issued, the type of infrastructure and controls and safeguards required by the permit conditions.
	The main locational factors that the Environment Agency will take into account with respect to the points above are likely to be the proximity of the proposed site to sensitive receptors such as dwellings and workplaces, groundwater source protection zones, watercourses, and designated habitats sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Compost

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated research into any relationship between the use of windrow composting sites and the incidence of respiratory illnesses in populations located within (i) 500 metres, (ii) 1,000 metres and (iii) 1,500 metres of those sites; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not commissioned research into the relationship between the use of windrow composting sites and the incidence of respiratory illnesses in populations located within these distances. Findings from the DEFRA bioaerosol project expected in spring 2013 will help to shape our policy around this issue and to provide evidence on bioaerosol production, dispersion and potential exposures on humans from windrow composting sites.
	Under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, the Environment Agency is required to assess any emissions from windrow composting sites and monitor the impact on the environment and human health and act accordingly where there are breaches of the environment permit.
	We are working with WRAP and the Environment Agency to produce a matrix of recently completed and ongoing Government sponsored research in AD and composting from the AD and Composting Research Network (ADCORN), co-ordinated by DEFRA. This is available at:
	http://www.biogas-info.co.uk/images/PDFs/research.pdf

Compost

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has conducted into the presence of harmful pathogens and spores originating from windrow sites.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is funding a project to provide evidence on bioaerosol production, dispersion and potential exposures on humans from windrow composting sites. This project is undertaking a comprehensive set of standard and novel bioaerosol measurements at representative composting sites, to assess comparability and measure spatial and temporal variations. It will also measure trace components of the odour emissions and compare these with bioaerosol emissions to see if odour is a marker of significant bioaerosol exposure. The final report is likely to be published next year.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme has completed a quantitative risk assessment exercise on compost derived from waste materials, which has included reviewing and assessing data on a range of pathogenic organisms. This work is currently being considered by the Food Standards Agency through its Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. We expect this review process to be finalised next year.

Livestock: Exports

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had regarding the export of live animals.

David Heath: In addition to internal meetings, I have had two recent discussions with the hon. Member for South Thanet (Laura Sandys) on exports from the port of Ramsgate.
	I also recently met with Compassion in World Farming in order to discuss a range of animal welfare issues, including the export of live animals.

Livestock: Exports

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of live animals exported for slaughter according to methods which would be illegal in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: For the period of 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2012 8,414 sheep and 148 cattle were exported from Great Britain live to EU member states.
	As we have no information on the method of slaughter used in the country of destination it is not possible to provide information on the number of live animals exported for slaughter according to methods which would be illegal in the UK. Member states have to meet European Union legislation requirements when slaughtering animals.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees in his Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 20 November 2012
	As at 30 June 2012, the number of core DEFRA employees paid an annual salary in excess of £80,000 was 38. Of these, 13 were paid in excess of £100,000.

Plastics: Packaging

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he gave to representations from the plastics manufacturing industry when formulating the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Richard Benyon: All representations and evidence received as part of the consultation process were considered carefully when developing the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he intends to publish his Department's consultation on potential policy approaches for electricity demand reduction.

John Hayes: Following the publication in July of the assessment promised in the EMR White Paper to determine whether DECC should take further steps to improve the support and incentives for the efficient use of electricity we committed to consult on measures later this year and we intend to do so shortly.

Energy: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment his Department has made of the uptake of energy efficiency measures by Service Family Accommodation properties.

Gregory Barker: The Department has made no dedicated assessment of the uptake of energy efficiency measures by Service Family Accommodation properties. Such properties are, however, included within the scope of the English Housing Survey produced by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), which my Department has used to help inform the Green Deal Household Model.

Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his priorities are for the negotiations on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation at the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha in November 2012.

Gregory Barker: Our priorities for the Doha negotiations on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) are to make progress on the technical work programme set out in Cancun (2010) and Durban (2011), to build the architecture needed to scale up REDD+, with the aim to complete the work programme in 2013. Our expectations are to agree the elements relating to measurement, reporting and verification and national forest monitoring systems, and as part of the EU, we will urge for clarification of the process for agreeing technical assessment of reference levels and the operationalisation of the social and environmental safeguards for REDD+.
	We will also prioritise reaching agreement on the modalities and procedures for financing results-based actions for REDD+ that is consistent with our overall finance goals for Doha of at least maintaining Fast Start levels of finance; that does not exclude any source; and that outlines elements needed to enable the scale up finance for REDD+.
	We also want to use the Doha session to press the important role REDD+ can play in closing the 2020 mitigation gap to 2 degrees Celsius as highlighted in the recent UNEP report. Doha is also an opportunity to highlight public finance available to tackle deforestation and forest degradation beyond the Fast Start period (2010-12).

Grants

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what grant-giving programmes are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the bodies for which he is responsible; and which such programmes award grants in Scotland.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change's grant funded programmes are listed as follows. Where the grant is awarded in Scotland this is indicated:
	(a) Department
	Warm Front
	Renewable Heat Premium Payment (awards in Scotland)
	Energy Efficiency Loan Schemes
	Green Deal Incentive Scheme
	Core Cities Grants
	Pioneer Places Grants
	Low Carbon Pioneer Cities
	Marine Energy Array Demonstrator Scheme (awards in Scotland)
	Carbon Capture and Storage Innovation Programme (awards in Scotland)
	Offshore Wind Component Technologies and Demonstration Scheme (awards in Scotland)
	Energy Entrepreneurs Fund Scheme (awards in Scotland)
	Energy Storage Component Research and Feasibility Study Scheme (awards in Scotland)
	Bio-energy Demonstrators of the European Industry Bio-energy Initiative (awards in Scotland)
	Offshore Wind Accelerator (operated by Carbon Trust) (awards in Scotland)
	Polymer Fuel Cells (operated by Carbon Trust) (awards in Scotland)
	Entrepreneurs Fast Track (operated by Carbon Trust) (awards in Scotland)
	Low Carbon Network Fund (operated by Ofgem) (awards in Scotland)
	UK Global Threat Reduction Programme
	Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)
	(b) NDPBs
	Nuclear Decommissioning Agency:
	Beyond Chapelcross Workforce Transition Project (CWTP) (awards in Scotland)
	Caithness and North Sunderland Fund (CNSF)

Green Deal Scheme

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the provision of a subsidy scheme to bridge the gap between the ending of the current Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Community Energy Saving Programme obligations and the Green Deal Finance Company becoming fully operational.

Gregory Barker: The existing Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) schemes will come to an end on 31 December 2012. Ofgem set out their approach to CERT/CESP compliance in an open letter of 21 September 2012. In this they set out how they will treat work completed after the end of 2012. Such work may be considered as a mitigating factor when considering enforcement action and what form any such action should take.
	The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will come into force on 1 January 2013, ensuring there is no hiatus between ECO and CERT/CESP. Additionally, any ECO activity delivered from 1 October 2012 can also be counted towards an energy supplier's eventual ECO target.
	Government has further announced a £125 million ‘cash back' offer, designed to incentivise consumers to take up the Green Deal. It will be available to all consumers in England and Wales who make a financial contribution to the installation costs of energy efficiency measures under Green Deal, whether or not they take out Green Deal Finance. We announced it would launch in 28 January 2013, however the Department is looking at whether it will be possible to open the scheme for applications earlier in January.

Housing: Insulation

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to measures to increase insulation uptake in housing stock which has yet to instal cavity and loft insulation.

Gregory Barker: Since this Government put in place the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) extension in April 2011 around 700,000 cavity walls and 1.6 million lofts have been insulated under the CERT programme. Subsidised, or often free, offers of insulation continue to remain available under CERT this year.
	Going forward, a number of policies will support insulation uptake. Under the Green Deal householders will be able to install a range of energy efficiency measures (including loft and cavity insulation) without having to pay all of the costs upfront, with the Energy Company Obligation focussed on the poorest and most vulnerable, and on harder to treat homes, such as those with hard to treat cavities. The Government has also announced a £125 million cash back scheme to encourage early uptake of measures under the Green Deal from January 2013. The first householders to take action under this scheme will be able to claim back £350 for installing loft and cavity insulation.
	In addition, the Energy Act 2011 enables Government to regulate to help ensure the take up of cost effective energy efficiency improvements in the private rented sector. From April 2016, domestic private landlords should not be able to unreasonably refuse requests from their tenants for consent to energy efficiency improvements, where financial support is available, such as the Green Deal and/or the ECO. Further, the Energy Act contains provisions for a minimum standard for private rented housing and commercial rented property from 2018, likely to be set at EPC band 'E'. The Government has committed to working with the sector in advance of any regulations to encourage uptake of energy efficiency measures through the Green Deal and has confirmed that any use of these regulation-making powers is conditional on there being no upfront or overall costs to landlords.

Hydroelectric Power

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider allowing small hydro-schemes to be installed under permitted development as part of a strategy of increasing the supply of hydro-electricity.

Gregory Barker: Small scale hydropower can make a small, but useful contribution to delivering low carbon electricity and the coalition Government is keen to maximise its potential. There are a range of measures in place to encourage the development of appropriately sited hydropower installations.
	In most cases hydropower stations require planning permission because they involve physical development of land. In April 2012 the Government introduced secondary legislation that confirmed that hydro turbines meeting defined criteria influencing the size and location of the turbine on farms and forestry units can be installed as permitted development. In these cases planning permission from the local authority is not needed.

Severn Estuary: Tidal Power

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the case for freestream tidal devices in the Severn estuary.

Gregory Barker: The Government is committed to the deployment of tidal stream technology in the UK, as demonstrated by active engagement with the marine industry and through financial initiatives to support the development of tidal stream devices.
	We are open to considering well-developed, robust proposals for tidal stream devices for harnessing the energy from the Severn estuary.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households who will receive the warm homes discount in each local authority area in winter 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: Around 2 million low income and vulnerable households will benefit each year as a result of the Warm Home Discount scheme. This is expected to include over 1 million of the poorest pensioners who will receive an automatic £130 discount on their electricity bills in winter 2012-13. Regional or local authority breakdowns for these data are not available.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 76W, on air passenger duty, what the timetable is for HM Revenue and Custom's commissioned research on the effect that differential prices at UK airports could have on the overall demand for aviation and on passengers' choice of airport.

Sajid Javid: This research has been published on HM Revenue and Custom's website and it is available as “No. 188: Modelling the Effects of Price Differentials at UK Airports” at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/reports.htm

Business: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of the funding for lending scheme on businesses in Barnsley Central constituency.

Greg Clark: The Funding for Lending Scheme is helping to make loans cheaper and more easily available across the UK. It is designed to incentivise banks and building societies to boost their lending to households and non-financial companies in aggregate. Participating banks have introduced a number of discounted loan products for small and medium sized enterprises and manufacturers.

Child Benefit

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of processing the additional self-assessed tax returns arising from the Government's plan to means-test child benefit.

David Gauke: Child benefit is not being means-tested before payment. Instead the high income child benefit charge applies a new income tax charge on individuals with an income above £50,000 where they or their partner is in receipt of child benefit.
	Information about processing the additional self assessment returns is not available and would be so only at disproportionate cost.
	The estimated total operational costs relating to the introduction of the high income child benefit charge were published in the Tax Information and Impact Note at Budget 2012:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/tiin-0620.pdf

Child Benefit

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how people whose entitlement to child benefit will vary during the tax year will be affected by the changes to child benefit from 7 January 2013.

David Gauke: The high income child benefit charge is based on the total amount of child benefit someone is entitled to receive over the course of a tax year (or from 7 January to 5 April for the tax year 2012-13). If someone becomes ineligible for child benefit part way through a tax year, or a new claim is made part way through a tax year, the charge will only apply to the amount actually paid. They will then have to show this amount on their self assessment tax return.
	An individual's entitlement to child benefit is not affected by the introduction of the high income child benefit charge. Entitlement to child benefit will remain if an individual decides to opt out of receiving child benefit as a result of the charge.

Grants

Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what grant-giving programmes are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the bodies for which he is responsible; and which such programmes award grants in Scotland.

Sajid Javid: No grant giving programmes are operated within the Treasury Group.

Insurance: Floods

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the withdrawal of flood insurance on the (a) availability of mortgages and (b) housing market.

Sajid Javid: Government is considering a range of options to ensure that insurance for homes at risk of flooding remains widely available. As part of this we have held discussions with insurers and lenders to help understand the impact on the availability of mortgages and the housing market. The conclusions of this work will be taken into account during policy development.

National Insurance Contributions: Entertainers

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what impact assessment his Department has undertaken on the implementation of class 1 national insurance contributions for entertainers.

David Gauke: No formal regulatory impact assessment has been undertaken regarding the implementation of class 1 national insurance contributions for entertainers. However, prior to entertainers being included in the Social Security (Categorisation of Earners) Regulations 1978 in 1998, and a subsequent amendment in 2003, the Government liaised extensively with entertainment industry stakeholders to fully understand the impact of the legislative changes on entertainers.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) information his Department has received from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and (b) discussions he has had with the FSA on steps taken by the FSA since 2005 in relation to reports of misconduct in the UK gas market.

Sajid Javid: holding answer 19 November 2012
	Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Lord Browne of Madingley has (a) conducted a review of and (b) provided any advice to his Department on gas policy; if he will publish the content of any such review and advice; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Retail Prices Index

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of any planned changes to the retail prices index to bring it more in line with the consumer prices index on (a) savers, (b) pensioners and (c) the public finances.

Sajid Javid: The National Statistician launched a Consultation on four options for the calculation of the retail prices index (RPI) on 8 October 2012. The consultation closes on 30 November 2012. It is anticipated that any recommendation for change will be announced by the National Statistician in January 2013.
	There is no role for Ministers in this process unless under very specific circumstances and only then at the very end of the process. Only if the Bank of England considers a proposed change to the RPI to be fundamental and materially detrimental to the interests of holders of relevant index-linked gilts, would the agreement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer be required before the change could be made.

Social Security Benefits

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of tax credits and other benefits to working households with children in 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of such costs in 2012-13.

David Gauke: The latest available estimate for tax credit expenditure is for 2010-11; figures for 2011-12 will be published in May 2013. The 2010-11 HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics 2010-11” can be accessed here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/child-wtc-may12.pdf
	Based on figures in Table 1.1 of this publication, the total amount of tax credits paid to working households with children was £19.6 billion in 2010-11.
	Child benefit is paid to any household irrelevant of their employment status, therefore and we cannot estimate the amount paid to working households.
	Housing benefit and council tax benefit are also paid to working households with children. The following figures represent the expenditure on these households in 2011-12.
	
		
			 Housing benefit and council tax benefit expenditure on working households with children 
			  Expenditure(£ million) 
			 Housing Benefit 3,117 
			 Council Tax Benefit 396

Taxation: Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to address international legal barriers to the introduction of a per-plane aviation duty.

Sajid Javid: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 519W.

Taxation: Self-employed

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff at HM Revenue and Customs were assigned to tackling fraudulent claims of self-employment in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

David Gauke: This Government is determined to tackle tax evasion of all kinds and ensure that the tax system operates fairly and efficiently for all.
	A breakdown of numbers of staff assigned to tackling fraudulent claims of self-employment is not available except at a disproportionate cost. HM Revenue and Customs compliance activity covers all aspects of non-compliant behaviour from simple error through to avoidance, evasion and organised criminal attack. Within HMRC compliance work is primarily carried out by staff in the Enforcement and Compliance line of business. HMRC take a risk based approach to compliance. Fraudulent claims of self-employment may be tackled by compliance officers and investigators across a range of activity.
	As part of the 2010 spending review settlement we announced that over £900 million would be made available to HMRC to step up their activity in tackling tax loss. This includes putting extra resource into tackling both avoidance and evasion. This reinvestment is funding a range of measures which will enable HMRC to bring in around £7 billion each year by 2014-15 in additional revenues.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of employees who will be working for firms enrolled on real time information for universal credit in (a) April 2013, (b) October 2013, (c) January 2014, (d) April 2014 and (e) January 2015.

David Gauke: HMRC does not hold information on the number of employers who will have employees claiming universal credit. Where an employer has employees claiming universal credit, PAYE RTI for those individuals will be shared with the Department for Work and Pensions.

EDUCATION

Children: Abuse

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on measures to ensure the protection of children from abuse resulting from witchcraft branding or accusations of possession by evil spirits since 2011; and how much it plans to spend on such measures in each of the next five years.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 19 November 2012
	The organisations participating in the National Working Group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief, including the Department, have responsibility for the work in the action plan published by the Group in August. The Group is making excellent progress in implementing the plan for little financial cost. Beyond the time spent by policy officials on this work, since 2011 the Department has spent £12,500 on a literature review, published on 24 October, to inform the discussions of the Group. Future activity, and the Department's contribution to such activity, will be considered at regular meetings of the Working Group. The Department currently has no specific plans for further expenditure on this issue, though officials will continue to spend time taking forward this important work with Group members.

Royal National College for the Blind

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the level of funding for the Royal National College for the Blind; and what plans he has for future funding for the body.

Matthew Hancock: The Department through the Education Funding Agency currently funds approximately 70 placements for young people aged 16-25 with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford. The total placement funding for these 70 young people in relation to 2012/13 academic year is £2.9 million. These placements have been commissioned by local authorities to meet the education, training and support needs for the young people as outlined within their learning difficulty assessment.
	The Education Funding Agency undertakes annual moderation of institution accounts to monitor their financial health. The Royal National College for the Blind is assessed as low risk with no concerns about the college's financial health. My assessment is that the college is adequately funded by the Department for the challenging work it does with those young people who require its specialist services.
	From 2013/14 new funding arrangements are being implemented for the college and similar specialist institutions. These arrangements will support the Government's plans to introduce a more integrated approach to assessment and planning for young people with special educational needs from birth to age 25. The Department is attaching two important conditions to these arrangements. The first is that local authorities are required to continue with existing placements when the new arrangements come into effect, and the second is that local authorities will be required to look at placements in all institutions including the Royal National College for the Blind on a fair and equivalent basis, so local authorities will continue to commission placements at the college for local young people following assessment, and will in future also provide the majority of the college's funding for each student.

Schools: Sports

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote sport participation in schools, including disability sport.

Edward Timpson: Physical Education (PE) will remain compulsory at all four key stages following the current review of the National Curriculum. The revised programme of study for PE will be slimmed down and will place a greater emphasis on competitive sport. It will be introduced into schools from September 2014.
	The School Games are already helping to increase the amount of competitive school sport. The School Games have four levels: competition within schools; competition between schools; county or district level competition; and an annual, national, multisport competition for our elite performers. Disability sport is included in the School Games at all four levels.
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), is considering a range of other measures to improve school sport for young people, including those with disabilities, and will make an announcement later this year.

Special Educational Needs

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  when he plans to publish the final evaluation report of the pathfinder programme to test out the proposals in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Green Paper;
	(2)  whether he plans to publish the interim evaluation report of the pathfinder programme to test out the proposals in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Green Paper;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of progress on the pathfinders chosen to test the proposals in his Department's Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities; and what assessment has been made of the state of such pathfinders which (a) are in the recruiting phase and (b) have not yet launched;
	(4)  what steps he plans to take to ensure the findings from the evaluation of the pathfinder programme to test out the proposals in the special educational needs and disabilities Green Paper contribute to the legislative proposals contained in the Children and Families Bill;
	(5)  by what date he anticipates the pathfinder programme to test the proposals in his Department's special educational needs and disabilities Green Paper will be completed.

Edward Timpson: In line with commitments made in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Green Paper, 20 pathfinders were set up in September 2011, representing 31 local authorities and their health partners. All pathfinders have launched and are recruiting families to test new approaches.
	An independent interim evaluation report of the pathfinder programme was published on 18 October 2012 and is available from the Department for Education's research website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/research/researchpublications
	Under existing contractual arrangements, the final evaluation report is due to be published in summer 2013.
	The interim evaluation report noted that good progress had been made across the pathfinder programme by June 2012. Most of the pathfinders had successfully set up representative governance structures and project delivery teams; there was a high level of positive engagement with parents; good progress had been made in mapping out the single assessment and plan pathway; and in most areas testing with families and young people was well under way. The report also identified that activities in some areas of testing were less well developed than others, and that pathfinders have some way to go to reach full implementation. The Department's contracted pathfinder support team is working with groups of pathfinders to accelerate testing in those areas where slower progress has been made.
	The pathfinder programme was set up specifically to test out the proposals in the special educational needs and disabilities Green Paper and the experiences of children, families and professionals in the pathfinder sites have already informed draft provisions, published in September 2012. Looking ahead, evidence from the pathfinder programme will be vital in informing parliamentary scrutiny of proposed SEN legislation; the development of regulations; revisions to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice; and plans for national implementation.
	On 6 November, I was pleased to be able to announce to the Education Select Committee an 18-month extension of the pathfinder programme, to September 2014. The independent evaluation will be extended by up to 24 months, subject to contract negotiations, and we will continue to offer ongoing support to pathfinders, with a focus on sector-led approaches to improvement, enabling us to gather further information about the full range of pathfinder approaches, building on what we have already learned. It will allow more time for the most effective pathfinder approaches to be fully documented and shared, particularly with non-pathfinder areas and support the implementation of the Green Paper reform programme including, subject to parliamentary approval, the legislative changes.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Trident

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 296W, on Trident, what the overall cost to date of the Trident Alternatives Review is by category of expenditure.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	Pursuant to my answer of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 296W, the costs of the review are met from within existing departmental budgets, and are limited to the time spent by experts in providing advice and to any incidental travel costs associated with attending meetings. These costs are not centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime Prevention: Nottinghamshire

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of crime reduction grant from her Department to (a) Nottinghamshire County Council and (b) Gedling Borough Council was in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13; what estimate she has made of the level of crime reduction grant from her Department to (a) Nottinghamshire County Council and (b) Gedling Borough Council in 2013-14.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 2 November 2012
	The following table shows the level of unringfenced community safety grant (known as partnership funding) paid to Nottinghamshire county council. Funding is not allocated to Gedling borough council by the Home Office.
	This specific grant stream ends after 2012-13. In 2013-14 Police and Crime Commissioners will receive some funding from a Community Safety Fund, which they can use to invest in drugs, crime, and community safety activities. They will be able to allocate this to all types of organisations in their police force area.
	
		
			 Community safety grant: Nottinghamshire county council 
			  £ 
			 2009-10 — 
			 2010-11 (baseline) 972,507 
			 2011-12 775,781 
			 2012-13 392,469

Crime: Plymouth

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hate crimes have been reported in Plymouth in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: Data on the number of recorded hate crimes is collected centrally by police force area, and is not broken down by town or city.
	Figures for hate crimes recorded by police forces in England and Wales in 2011-12 were published by the Home Office in September. Data for 2011-12 is available on the Home Office website.

Emergency Calls: Hoaxes and False Alarms

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hoax 999 calls were received by the police in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 to date in (i) Coventry, (ii) West Midlands and (iii) England; and what estimate she has made of the financial costs associated with responding to such calls in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: The requested information is not collected by the Home Office.

Entry Clearances

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the visa applications rejected in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011 were made by graduates or skilled workers.

Mark Harper: holding answer 5 November 2012
	Under Tier 2 (skilled worker) and pre-Points Based System equivalents, there were 2,995 refusals (main applicants) in 2010 and correspondingly 1,462 refusals in 2011. This information relates to refusals of entry clearance visas for the skilled workers route (Tier 2 of the Points Based System and pre-PBS equivalents). Some of the refusals may have been for individuals who did not meet the required skill criteria.
	Information on whether visa refusals relate to applications by graduates is not available.
	Data relating to grants and refusals of visas by Tier, are published in table 'be.01' of the quarterly Home Office statistical release 'Immigration Statistics', available from the Home Office's Science, Research and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/

Female Genital Mutilation

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of female genital mutilation operations carried out in the UK in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: The prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is difficult to estimate because of the hidden nature of the crime and the Home Office has not made an estimate of the number of FGM operations in the last three years.
	A study based on 2001 census data suggested that over 20,000 girls under 15 could be at high risk of FGM in England and Wales.

Fixed Penalties

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of each category of fixed penalty notice have been (a) issued and (b) paid in each police force area in each month since their introduction; and what the aggregate value was of the resultant fines imposed in each category.

Jeremy Browne: Data provided to the Home Office on the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for motoring offences cannot be broken down to show the month of issue/payment or payment rates by individual offence category.
	Calendar year data for the period 2007 to 2010, broken down by year, are published in the Home Office annual statistical release, “Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales, 2010/11”, which is available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	The number of non-endorsable (usually £30) and endorsable (£60) fixed penalty notices issued, broken down by offence category are shown in Table FPN.03, while the number paid are in table FPN.04. Data for 2011 are scheduled to be published in spring 2013.
	Data from earlier years are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Offences relating to motor vehicles” (1980 to 2006), and in a command paper from 1977 to 1979; copies are available in the Library of the House. Data for the years previous were published annually as a return to the House of Commons.

Immigration

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she gave consideration to allowing the constituents of the hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe, Mr and Mrs Biscocho Viray, Home Office reference V1091633, permission to work whilst their application for leave to remain is considered; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The UK Border Agency south-east area director wrote to my hon. Friend about this case on 5 November 2012.

Immigration

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her estimate is of immigration from Bulgaria and Romania in the period after 2014.

Mark Harper: holding answer 21 November 2012
	The Government do not routinely produce forecasts or estimates of future levels of migration from individual countries. The difficulty in producing a reliable forecast of likely levels of migration, which would need to take account of a variety of factors, is in this instance accentuated by the fact that the United Kingdom is not the only member state that will be required to lift existing labour market restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals on 31 December 2013.
	The Government has made clear it will always apply transitional controls on new EU member states. We are also working to tackle abuse of free movement with other member states.

Migration

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) financial and (b) other contributions the Government made to support the work of UK international organisations for migration in the last year in which information is available.

Mark Harper: The Secretary of State for the Home Office can confirm that financial contributions made by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in financial year 2011-12 consist of the following:
	A membership payment to IOM, half of which is paid for by the Department for International Development (DFID), the other half of which is paid by the UK Border Agency.
	The amount calculated and invoiced is for calendar years, but the amount calculated due from both parties for the financial year 2011-12 was £1,941,190.34.
	Payment to IOM for running the UKBA Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVR) programme in Afghanistan for 2011-12 amounted to £718,635.67. This represents a payment on account for services receivable during the period August 2011 to August 2012.
	Payment to IOM for running a Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) in 2011-12 amounted to £396,176.27. This represents a payment on account for services during the period April 2011 to March 2012.
	An amount of £28,978.34 was also paid in financial year 2011-12 in relation to payments for moving refugees.

Police and Crime Commissioners

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for election material for the police and crime commissioner elections had been made via the Government's 0800 1070708 telephone number by 31 October 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 5 November 2012
	Between 6 October, when the 0800 1070708 telephone number launched, and 31 October there were requests for 73,720 police and crime commissioner candidate information booklets.

Police: Cleveland

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each basic command unit in the Cleveland police force area on 31 March (a) 2010 and (b) 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 12 November 2012
	Police service strength by basic command unit for Cleveland police force as at 31 March 2010 can be seen from the following table.
	
		
			 Police officer strength by basic command unit for Cleveland police force as at 31 March 2010(1) 
			  Number 
			 Hartlepool 198 
			 Langbaurgh (Redcar and Cleveland) 240 
			 Middlesbrough 314 
			 Stockton 287 
			 Central Services 686 
			 Total 1,724 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks. 
		
	
	The number of police officers at basic command unit level ceased to be collected from 2011-12.

Police: Conduct

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the fairness and conduct of the Police Service's Directorate of Professional Standards;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the fairness and interpretation of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the fairness of the police disciplinary boards.

Damian Green: The arrangements for dealing with police officer misconduct are kept under constant review by the Home Office. Statutory instruments which make changes to these arrangements were laid in Parliament on 23 October 2012.

Police: Disciplinary Proceedings

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on whether police disciplinary charges can be investigated and brought once a police officer has retired.

Damian Green: Disciplinary action is usually brought to an end when an officer retires because the sanctions available if the officer is found guilty of misconduct are no longer available. Retirement does not, however, prevent allegations from continuing to be investigated and, in the case of criminal matters, charges being brought.

Police: South Yorkshire

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each basic command unit in South Yorkshire police force on 31 March (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 12 November 2012
	Police service strength by basic command unit for South Yorkshire police force as at 31 March 2011 can be seen from the following table:
	
		
			 Police officer strength by basic command unit for South Yorkshire police force as at 31 March 2011(1) 
			  Number 
			 Barnsley 360 
			 Doncaster 472 
		
	
	
		
			 Rotherham 356 
			 Sheffield 927 
			 Central Services 774 
			 Total 2,888 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks. 
		
	
	The number of police officers at basic command unit level ceased to be collected from 2011-12.

Prostitution

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the risks of women and men involved in prostitution being a victim of serious sexual or violent crime; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of men and women involved in prostitution who are habitual drug users; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the average age of entry for women and men involved in prostitution; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Government is committed to tackling the harm and exploitation associated with prostitution. The cross-Government Action Plan to end Violence Against Women and Girls sets out our commitment to ensure that those involved in prostitution are protected from violence, free from exploitation and, where appropriate, given help to leave.
	The Home Office has not made any recent formal assessment of the demographics and characteristics of men and women who are involved in prostitution. Local agencies are in the best position to make an assessment of the problems associated with prostitution in their local area. To empower them to do so and to respond effectively, in October 2011 the Home Office published a review of effective practice in terms of policing, exiting, minimising harm and general multi-agency working. Our review highlighted for local areas the importance of prevention, including identification of child sexual exploitation, and holistic support, including addressing alcohol and drug use.

Prostitution

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of trends in (a) on street, (b) off street and (c) escort prostitution; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Government are committed to tackling the harm and exploitation associated with prostitution. The cross-government Action Plan to end Violence Against Women and Girls sets out our commitment to ensure that those involved in prostitution are protected from violence, free from exploitation and, where appropriate, given help to leave.
	Local agencies are in the best position to make an assessment of the characteristics and issues of prostitution in their local area. To empower them to do so and to respond effectively, in October 2011 the Home Office published a review of effective practice in terms of policing, exiting, minimising harm and general multi-agency working. Our review highlighted for local areas the importance of prevention, including identification of child sexual exploitation, and holistic support, including addressing alcohol and drug use.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

EU Grants and Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of the total amount of European Regional Development Funding in England remains (a) unallocated, (b) unpaid to projects and (c) uncontracted in each region.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 7 November 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 September 2012, Official Report, columns 306-08W.

EU Grants and Loans: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated under the European Regional Development Fund in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria in each of the last five financial years.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The North West European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007-13 has invested (a) £4.89 million directly in Barrow and Furness constituency (2008) and (b)£19.102 million in direct European Regional Development Fund investments in Cumbria.
	The breakdown of investment on an annual basis is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2007 945,298 
			 2008 4,895,409 
			 2009 4,960,460 
			 2010 4,026,840 
			 2011 0 
			 2012 4,274,466 
		
	
	The gap in direct investment for 2011 reflects that no grant applications from Cumbria were either ready for approval or had been submitted for consideration.
	In addition, the North West Programme has funded a number of region wide business support schemes that Cumbria would be benefiting from. Investment details on a sub-regional basis is not available for this activity.

Government Procurement Card

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of every individual transaction on government procurement cards held by his Department, including the (a) amount, (b) supplier, (c) date and (d) merchant category from the creation of the Department to date.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 6 November 2012
	A table with this information has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Sir Philip Green's report into Government efficiency in October 2010 criticised insufficient monitoring and poor spending controls on such corporate charge cards.
	This Government has put in place tougher controls on such card spending.
	This has helped the Department reduce our card spending by over three-quarters, from £321,076 a year in 2009-10, to just £70,835 in 2011-12.

Grants

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grant giving programmes are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the bodies for which he is responsible; and which such programmes award grants in Scotland.

Brandon Lewis: Providing a full list of grant giving programmes operated by the Department of Communities and Local Government (and bodies for which the Department is responsible) would incur disproportionate cost. A full outline of the activities of the Department (and bodies for which the Department is responsible) is provided in the Department's latest Annual Report and Business Plan:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachement_data/file/5891/2171499.pdf
	http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7527/2154390.pdf
	The Department for Communities and Local Government (including bodies for which the Department is responsible) does not operate any grant giving, programmes in Scotland.

Housing: Construction

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local planning authorities which cannot achieve the number of houses using urban and brownfield land means to meet the population growth predicted in their local plan will be required to release green belt land or face their plan being found unsound by the Planning Inspectorate.

Nicholas Boles: It is for local councils to judge how to meet the objectively assessed development needs of their local area through their Local Plan. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that councils should meet objectively assessed development needs, including housing, unless adverse impacts or the policies of the framework indicate otherwise.
	Local planning authorities can work together to meet development requirements which cannot wholly be met within their own areas—for instance, because of a lack of physical capacity or because to do so would cause significant harm to the principles and policies of the National Planning Policy Framework. The Localism Act 2011 introduced a duty to co-operate for local planning authorities to work together to meet strategic planning priorities where these cross boundaries.
	When assessing a Local Plan for soundness, the Inspector will judge whether the Local Plan is consistent with national policy, and based on a robust evidence base.

Non-domestic Rates

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what revenue was accrued from business rates in each of the last five years; and if he will estimate the proportion of business rate revenue that was attributable to the revaluation of newly redeveloped properties in each such year.

Brandon Lewis: The total revenue in England from business rates in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Net rate yield Income from Central List and from Former Crown List 
			 2008-09 19,068 1,164 
			 2009-10 19,412 1,182 
			 2010-11 19,276 1,185 
			 2011-12 21,034 1,261 
			 2012-13 (B) 21,329 1,333 
			 Source: Data are taken from local authorities in England on the NNDR1 and NNDR3 returns. All years are outturn data, except 2012-13 which is budget data. 
		
	
	No estimate is available for the proportion of business rates revenue that was attributable to the revaluation of newly redeveloped properties in each such year.

Press: Subscriptions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which magazines, journals and newspapers his Department subscribes.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government subscribes to the following magazines, journals and newspapers. This includes transport titles provided to the Department for Transport as part of a shared service agreement.
	Architects Journal
	Aviation News
	Big Issue (Display Copy Only)
	Building (and Supplements)
	Buildings Magazine
	Buses
	Campaign
	Catholic Herald
	Church Times
	Civil Service World
	CIWM—Journal For Waste Management Professional
	Coach And Bus Week
	Commercial Motor
	Common Market Law Review
	Consensus Economic Forecasts
	Construction News
	Daily Express
	Daily Mail
	Daily Mirror
	Daily Star
	Development Control Services—Online subscription
	DODS Civil Service World
	Eastern Eye
	Economist
	Emergency Services Times
	Encyclopaedia Of Compulsory Purchase & Compensation
	Encyclopaedia Of Planning—Law & Practice
	Ends Report
	Equal Opportunities Review
	Estates Gazette
	European Human Rights Reports
	Evening Standard
	Financial Times
	Fire Times
	Flight International
	FOI And Privacy And Data Protection E-Journals
	House Magazine & Blue Pages
	Housing And Property Law Review (Electronic)
	Housing Law Reports
	I—Newspaper
	IDS Employment Law Brief
	Inside Housing
	Jewish Chronicle
	Journal Of Planning And Environment Law
	Journal Of Urban Regeneration & Renewal
	Journal On Planning And Environmental Law
	Judicial Review
	Law Society Gazette
	Legal Action
	Local Government Chronicle
	Local Government Reports
	Local Transport Today
	Mail On Sunday
	Marketing Week
	Mineral Planning And Waste Planning
	Motor Transport
	Municipal Journal
	Muslim News
	Muslim Weekly
	New Civil Engineer
	New Media Age
	New Scientist
	New Statesman
	Observer
	Occupational Pensions
	PC Pro
	Planning
	PR Week
	Press Gazette
	Private Eye
	Property Planning And Compensation Reports
	Property Week
	Public Finance
	Public Law & Public Law
	Public Servant—PSCA Journals
	Rail
	Rating And Valuation Reporter
	Research Fortnight
	Social Housing
	Solicitors Journal
	Spectator
	Statute Law Review
	Sun
	Sunday Express
	Sunday Mirror
	Sunday People
	Sunday Telegraph
	Sunday Times
	Surveyor
	Tablet
	Tec (Traffic Engineering And Control)
	The Telegraph
	The Big Issue
	The Daily Jang M-S
	The Daily Telegraph
	The Economist
	The Guardian
	The Independent
	The Independent (Sunday)
	The Sun On Sunday
	The Times
	Town And Country Planning
	Tramways And Urban Transit
	Universe
	Urban Design
	Voice Weekly
	Weekly Law Reports
	The Department has made significant savings over the last three years through the rationalisation and consolidation of supplier contracts and continues to monitor and review these costs as part of our commitment to reduce back office spending. For example, the Department spent £136,892 on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2008-09 and £113,308 in 2009-10; this was reduced to £93,601 in 2010-11, and £62,074 in 2011-12.
	The Department has a shared serviced arrangement with Department for Transport hence the subscription to journals such as Aviation News, Coach and Bus Week, Flight International and Tramways and Urban Transit. The Department for Transport reimburses my Department these costs (£3,339 per annum).

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: The Department spent £62,074, including VAT, on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in 2011-12. Significant savings have been made since May 2010 through the rationalisation and consolidation of supplier contracts, from the £136,892 spent in 2008-09 and £113,308 in 2009-10. Costs continue to be monitored and reviewed as part of our commitment to reduce back office spending.
	Under our shared serviced arrangement with them, a proportion of the journals are purchased for the Department for Transport and we are reimbursed by them for these; the current reimbursement is around £3,300 per annum.

HEALTH

Air Pollution

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which body is undertaking the assessments of air pollution and mortality burden for particulate pollution PM2.5 in respect of joint strategic needs assessment of health and well-being strategies for local authorities outside London.

Anna Soubry: The Health Protection Agency has arranged the calculation of the mortality burden attributable to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution (PM2.5) for English upper-tier local authorities. These estimates have been published in the base line data set for the Public Health Outcomes Framework, which can be found at:
	www.phoutcomes.info
	Indicators from all of the outcomes, frameworks, including the Public Health Outcomes Framework, can be used by health and well-being boards to inform Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) and Joint Health and Well-being Strategies (JHWSs). JSNAs and JHWSs are local strategic planning processes which will underpin local commissioning plans across the local national health service and local authorities including public health, social care and children's services. JSNAs must therefore be inclusive of the health and care needs of the whole local population as an objective, comprehensive and—most importantly—a locally-owned process of developing evidence based priorities for commissioning.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of 11 to 15 year old (a) boys, (b) girls and (c) children had drunk alcohol at least once in each of the last 30 years by each (i) region and (ii) constituent part of the UK.

Anna Soubry: Data published since the ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2000’, providing national estimates from 1988, are included in the ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2011’, a copy of this has already been placed in the Library. However, a regional breakdown from 1988 to 2010 could be calculated only at disproportionate cost. It may also not be possible due to the sample size and methodology used in some years.
	The information on the proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds who have reported ever having had a drink by both sex and region for the years 2006 to 2008 is included in the ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England, findings by region 2006 to 2008’. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	Information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not held centrally.

Breast Cancer

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible factors associated with the changes in detection of breast cancers since 1982; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Female breast cancer incidence rates have increased in the United Kingdom since the mid-1970s, at around 1% to 2% per year. In 1982 in England, there were 21,914 cases of breast cancer in women and in 2010 this figure had risen to 41,259. This increase is due to many factors, including the ageing population.
	The introduction of the NHS Breast Screening Programme in 1988 led to a short-lived additional increase in incidence as a number of existing breast cancers were diagnosed in women screened for the first time. This trend largely occurred in women aged 50 to 64, the age group invited when the screening programme first started. By the mid-1990s, the increase in incidence rates had returned to the pre-screening level.
	A recent steep rise in incidence rates for women aged 65 to 69 can be attributed to the extension of breast screening to women aged 65 to 70 between 2001 and 2006. Trends in breast cancer incidence have also been affected by the reduction in the number of women taking hormone replacement therapy, which had been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in some women.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department made of the cost to the NHS of treating carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011.

Daniel Poulter: No assessment has been made. The cost to the national health service of treating carbon monoxide poisoning is not reported separately to the Department.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the economic micro-simulation model for the years 2015-16 to 2025-26 published on pages 33 to 34 of his Department's July 2012 report entitled Caring for Our Future: progress report on funding reform, if he will publish and place in the Library an estimate of the costs of capping care costs at £60,000 with £10,000 general living costs according to that model.

Norman Lamb: The progress report sets out the cost to Government of different levels of the cap. Pages 33 and 34 demonstrate the costs of caps set at £25,000 with a £7,000 contribution to general living costs and caps of £35,000, £50,000, £75,000 and £100,000 with a £10,000 contribution to general living costs.
	We do not hold information on the cost of capping care costs at £60,000.

Dementia

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will use the NHS Atlas of Variation to calculate the potential savings which would arise if each primary care trust area performed as well as the best in terms of (a) the number of hospital bed days for people with dementia and (b) rates of admission for people with dementia; and if he will take steps to ensure that poorly-performing areas learn lessons from areas with better performance.

Norman Lamb: There are no plans to use the NHS Atlas of Variation to calculate national savings on dementia care. The atlas can be used by the national health service locally to benchmark its hospital admission rates and bed stays against similar organisations. It can also identify variation and help clinicians to understand what is going on in their area and where to focus attention to improve the care they provide.
	Providing high-quality compassionate care in hospital is one of the priorities of the Prime Minister's challenge on dementia. A range of actions including the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation goal, the Call to Action to make hospitals dementia-friendly and improving training and awareness will all help to deliver a better hospital experience for people with dementia and their carers.

Dementia

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect information on memory clinic waiting times by each clinical commissioning group area.

Norman Lamb: Data on waiting times for memory services are not collected centrally.
	The Department is commissioning an audit of memory services which will look at a range of measures, including capacity.
	To support an improvement in diagnosis rates of dementia, the Department has developed an analytical model toolkit which will support Clinical Commissioning Groups to improve their dementia diagnosis rate and commission sufficient memory services.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the payment by results for drug recovery pilot programme.

Anna Soubry: The Payment by Results pilot programme launched in April 2012. Ministers from the Department of Health, Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Justice met with the eight pilot teams in October to review progress and informally assess the effectiveness. However, it is too early to draw any conclusions. A team led by the university of Manchester will independently evaluate the programme. A report on the initial scoping and feasibility phase of the evaluation will be published by the university of Manchester by the end of the year.

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department and its associated public bodies.

Daniel Poulter: Staff at the Department and its arm's length bodies acting in seconded roles, as specialist contractors or interim managers, may have their salaries paid through recruitment agencies or staff supply organisations.
	The Department uses the Government Procurement Service centralised agreements and frameworks which select a range of these organisations by public tender, such as the managed service provider agreement with Capita and the master vendor arrangement with Hays Specialist Recruitment for contingent labour requirements.
	The Department undertakes procurement in accordance with public procurement legislation and best practice policies. This includes the inclusion into contracts, when appropriate, of a specific tax assurance clause.

General Practitioners: Complaints

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that patients who make a formal complaint against their GP are not without good reason removed from a GP's list.

Daniel Poulter: All providers of national health service funded care must handle complaints in accordance with the NHS and adult social care complaints regulations. We expect their handling to be in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's 'Principles of Good Complaints Handling'.
	Nobody should be without a general practitioner (GP) practice. If anyone who has been removed from a practice's list has difficulty in finding another practice, the NHS has a legal responsibility to find them a new practice where they can register.
	Primary care trusts have a duty to ensure that everyone in their area has access to NHS primary medical services. Part of this duty entails keeping and maintaining lists of NHS patients registered with GP practices.
	Under their contractual arrangements, practices may notify their primary care trust of their wish to have a patient removed from their lists. Practices must have reasonable, non-discriminatory grounds for doing so, and unless the reason is because of violence or the threat of violence, practices are required to warn patients when taking such a step and to give reasons.
	Primary care trusts must decide, considering the individual circumstances of each individual case, whether a practice has breached the terms of its contract, and what action to take.
	On 1 April 2013, this responsibility moves to the NHS Commissioning Board, where we expect more consistency and effectiveness in handling these issues.

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which individuals and organisations proposed that the provisions of the existing legislation relating to proportionality in sections 15 and 17 and Schedule 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 should be disapplied in respect of the composition of health and well-being boards.

Norman Lamb: The Department engaged broadly with stakeholders to develop the content arid policy proposals for regulations relating to health and wellbeing boards. This included:
	input from the Local Government Association (LGA);
	input from Local Authority Chief Executives;
	engagement with local areas setting up shadow health and wellbeing boards via regional networks, the National Learning Network for health and wellbeing boards and the Association of Democratic Services Officers; and
	engagement via an invitation to local areas to provide detailed feedback on the National Learning Network's online forum (which has over 1,000 members involved or interested in the set up of health and wellbeing boards).
	The overarching theme of feedback from the engagement exercise was the need for the regulations to provide flexibility and to enable local areas to have the freedom to shape their boards as best fits with local circumstances, through disapplication or modification of specific provisions in current legislation relating to committees of local authorities. This included a very strong view from stakeholders that provisions in relation to political proportionality of health and wellbeing boards should be disapplied.

Health Services

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding his Department has provided for clinical networks in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13;
	(2)  what funding the National Commissioning Board has allocated for clinical networks in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Anna Soubry: Information concerning the funding provided for clinical networks in 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 cannot be provided in the format requested. Only cancer, cardiac and stroke network funding is identified centrally, and this is provided via the Strategic Health Authority (SHA) bundle. Funding for cancer, cardiac and stroke networks provided in the SHA bundle for the years requested has been placed in the following table.
	
		
			 Cancer, cardiac and stroke network funding 
			  £ million 
			 2009-10 33 
			 2010-11 33 
			 2011-12 33 
			 2012-13 33 
		
	
	These allocations are based on estimates of the funding required to deliver cancer, cardiac and stroke networks. However, it is for each SHA to determine how the total amount they receive in the SHA bundle is allocated to specific services, such as clinical networks, taking into account the needs of local populations.
	Funding allocated for Strategic Clinical Networks in 2013-14 is £42 million. The NHS Commissioning Board has made no decision about the funding allocation in 2014-15.

Health Services

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has the power to take a decision based on the recommendation of a trust special administrator (TSA) which results in the closure or downgrading of services at a hospital which is not part of the trust to which that TSA has been appointed;
	(2)  whether the terms of appointment of the Special Administrator of the South London Healthcare Trust include the power to consult on changes to health services at a hospital not located in the trust to which he has been appointed.

Anna Soubry: The remit of a trust special administrator (TSA) appointed to a national health service trust is to develop recommendations for the Secretary of State on the action that should be taken in relation to that trust to secure sustainable provision of health services which meet patients' needs and deliver value for money. For those recommendations in relation to the NHS trust to be viable and credible, the TSA will need to consider relevant factors, including the intentions of NHS commissioners and the consequential impact upon the local health system. This will invariably require a TSA to consider implications for other health care providers that are part of the local system, as suggested by the former Secretary of State, the Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley) in a written ministerial statement of 12 July 2012, Official Report, columns 47-49WS, regarding South London Healthcare Trust.
	Legislation, rather than the terms of appointment in individual cases, requires a TSA to consult publicly on his draft recommendations. He is expected to take the consultation responses into account when drawing up his final recommendations report for the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt). The Secretary of State is required to take a final decision about the action to be taken in relation to the NHS trust in question, which may have implications for the local health system.

Health Services: Homelessness

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure homeless people are able to register with a GP.

Daniel Poulter: It is the duty of each primary care trust to ensure that anyone who wishes to do so can register with a general practitioner practice in their area. Homeless people are entitled to access national health service primary medical services in the same way as anyone else.

Health Services: Homelessness

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve hospital discharge procedures for homeless people.

Anna Soubry: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for South Swindon (Mr Buckland) on 25 October 2012, Official Report, column 1035W.

Health Services: Lancashire

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding allocated to the NHS in 2012-13 is being transferred to Lancashire County Council under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012; and for what purposes.

Daniel Poulter: From April 2013, upper tier unitary authorities will have a duty to take appropriate steps to improve the health of their population, funded through a ring-fenced grant which will be announced by the end of the year.
	Estimates of 2010-11 primary care trust baseline spend on public health services uplifted to 2012-13 values and mapped onto local authorities for their future public health responsibilities were published in February 2012. No local authority will receive less, in real terms, than the baseline spending estimates.
	The estimated 2012-13 baseline for Lancashire county council is £46 million. However, this is undergoing revision. The revised baseline and final allocations will be published in due course.

Hospitals: South West

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the proposed merger of Bournemouth and Christchurch and Poole Hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: We have made no assessment. The Department does not have a role in approving a merger between two foundation trusts.
	In the first instance it is for foundation trusts, in consultation with their staff, patients and local communities, to consider the benefits of a merger and take decisions on whether a merger should be pursued or not.
	The protection of patients' interests is delivered through independent regulation by Monitor and the Office of Fair Trading.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that girls who do not attend school are able to access the HPV vaccine in all primary care trust areas.

Anna Soubry: The policy and national guidance on human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation is that all girls aged 12 to 13 years should be offered vaccination, whether they are attending school or not. Primary care trusts are currently responsible for the implementation of the HPV immunisation programme in their localities taking into account local circumstances.

Junior Doctors

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications have been made by junior doctors for inter-deanery transfers in each of the last five years; how many such applications have been approved; and what the basis was for approving such applications.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold information regarding the number of applications for inter-deanery transfers.

Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on physical health of untreated mental illness.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated research specifically on the effect on physical health of untreated mental illness.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research funds a wide range of research on mental health, including research relating to comorbidity of mental and physical illness.
	The Government's mental health strategy, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, recognises that those with mental ill health are more likely to have poor physical health. Its third agreed objective is that fewer people with mental health problems will die prematurely and more people with physical ill health will have better mental health.
	The main aim of the Information Centre's Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England Survey of 2007 was to collect data on mental health among adults aged 16 and over living in private households in England. It is the primary source of information on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorders and collected data on the prevalence of physical ill health in the same population.
	The Government has made it clear that mental health problems should be treated as seriously as physical health problems and this commitment has now been made explicit in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
	The Government's mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board explicitly recognises the importance of putting mental health on a par with physical health, and tasks the board with putting mental health on a par with physical health, and closing the health gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole.
	We have commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to lead work, involving a wide range of professional and other organisations, to consider how we can ensure mental health receives equal priority with physical health in practice.

NHS: Empty Property

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS spending on empty properties relates to PFI or similar schemes which started before 2010.

Daniel Poulter: Information is not collected by the Department on properties which are not in use as part of private finance initiative (PFI) and other public private partnership capital investment schemes.
	The details of PFI properties may be available locally.

NHS: Empty Property

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on empty properties surplus to requirement in the latest period for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not collected.
	National health service organisations are responsible locally for making decisions regarding the use of their facilities including when they are made surplus.

Pharmacy

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total cost is to his departmental budget and the budget of the agencies for which his Department is responsible of administering the community pharmacy contract;
	(2)  how many statisticians are employed to support the administration of the community pharmacy contract by his Department and the agencies for which his Department is responsible; and what the total cost is of employment.

Norman Lamb: The total cost to the Department and the agencies for which it is responsible of administering the community pharmacy contractual framework in 2011-12 was £20,158,000. Of this, there was a cost of £178,000 for 3.30 whole-time equivalent statisticians.
	These figures cover revenue costs, but not capital costs, for changes to the services in the national community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF), including negotiation, legislation and implementation; drug reimbursement, with monthly changes to the Drug Tariff; assessment of medicine margin and adjustments for Category M generic medicine reimbursement prices; forecasting prescription volume to inform delivery of agreed funding; the Cost of Service Inquiry; settlement of annual funding for the CPCF and adjustment of fees and allowances; publication of the Drug Tariff and payment of pharmacy contractors.

Public Health England

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidance and (b) support Public Health England will provide to local authorities in relation to their new duties on public health.

Anna Soubry: From April 2013, a new national organisation, Public Health England, will support the efforts of upper tier and unitary local authorities in their new leadership role for public health.
	Public Health England will provide a range of knowledge, information and other services to support local leadership for public health. The precise nature of any guidance and support is currently being discussed with local government, including the Local Government Association.

WALES

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his Department are paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Stephen Crabb: The information requested is contained in the Wales Office Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Coroners

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her policy is on the decision of Northern Ireland's senior coroner to suspend inquests into 14 deaths related to the Troubles in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I am currently considering the correspondence from the solicitor acting on behalf of the Coroners for Northern Ireland and have sought legal advice on the issues raised therein and my responsibilities as Secretary of State. I recognise the importance of clarifying the position at the earliest opportunity, given the impact of the suspension of the inquests on the families in question.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many responses her Department has received to its consultation on Measures to Improve the Operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and when she intends to respond to that consultation.

Theresa Villiers: The Northern Ireland Office received 48 responses to a recent consultation on Measures to Improve the Operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly, including from the majority of Northern Ireland political parties. The Government's response to the consultation will be issued in due course.

Omagh Self Help and Support Group

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations she has received from the Omagh Self Help and Support Group; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I am currently considering the report which the Omagh Support and Self Help Group (OSSHG) presented to my predecessor in June 2012. I am undertaking a range of consultations to ensure that I have all relevant information in advance of making a decision in relation to the families' request for a public inquiry. I have been in correspondence with the OSSHG on various matters related to the report. My office is currently scheduling a meeting with them.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in her Department are paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Michael Penning: My Department currently has two members of staff who are paid more than £80,000, and one member of staff who is paid more than £100,000.

Terrorism

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of threats to the personal security of (a) prison officers and (b) police officers in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: The Security Service has the lead on the assessment of threat in Northern Ireland.
	The threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism remains severe. The threat in Great Britain from Northern Ireland related terrorism has recently been assessed at moderate by the Security Service.
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service and Police Service for Northern Ireland both keep arrangements for the personal security of their officers and staff under constant review.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the possibility of both the aircraft carriers currently under construction entering into operation by 2020.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 615W, to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Thomas Docherty).

Consultants

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget was for the recruitment of consultants at his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 November 2012
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) specifies its required output to be achieved at a particular price on consultancy contracts, as defined by the Cabinet Office. The MOD does not have a budget for the recruitment of consultants.
	Consultancy expenditure as defined by the Cabinet for financial years (FY) 2005-06 to 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 FY £ million 
			 2005-06 261 
			 2006-07 129 
			 2007-08 120 
			 2008-09 106 
			 2009-10 79 
			 2010-11 26 
		
	
	Expenditure on consultancy is now published annually in UK Defence Statistics and can be found at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2011/c1/trans_sup.php

Defence: Procurement

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many projects being delivered for his Department by (a) BAE Systems, (b) Raytheon, (c) Qinetiq, (d) AWE Management Ltd, (e) MAN Truck and Bus Ltd, (f) British Telecom, (g) MBDA UK Ltd, (h) Westland Helicopters Ltd, (i) HP Enterprise Services Defence and Security UK Ltd, (j) Serco Ltd, (k) Sodexo, (l) Aspire Defence Ltd, (m) Debut Services Ltd, (n) Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd, (o) the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, (p) the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency, (q) BP Oil Limited and (r) Paradigm Secure Communications Ltd are overrunning in terms of time; and where each project is located;
	(2)  which projects being delivered by (a) BAE Systems, (b) Raytheon, (c) Qinetiq, (d) AWE Management Ltd, (e) MAN Truck and Bus Ltd, (f) British Telecom, (g) MBDA UK Ltd, (h) Westland Helicopters Ltd, (i) HP Enterprise Services Defence and Security UK Ltd, (j) Serco Ltd, (k) Sodexo, (l) Aspire Defence Ltd, (m) Debut Services Ltd, (n) Purple Foodservice Solutions Ltd, (o) the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, (p) the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency and (q) Paradigm Secure Communications Ltd for his Department are running over budget; and by how much in each case.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 November 2012
	This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A similar question asked by the hon. Gentleman was answered but the information provided took four months to prepare and cost many times the disproportionate cost threshold limit set by HM Treasury for answering parliamentary questions.

HMS Ocean

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Ocean has an end-of-service date.

Philip Dunne: The date of HMS Ocean's withdrawal from service has not yet been decided.

Libya

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2012, Official Report, column 372W, on Libya, whether the Voyager tanker was used for any mid-air refuelling requirements during Operation Ellamy.

Andrew Murrison: No. The first Voyager aircraft was not due to have been delivered until after Op Ellamy had finished.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to answer Question 124617 from the hon. Member for New Forest East, tabled on 19 October 2012 for answer on 24 October 2012.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 19 November 2012
	I replied to my hon. Friend on 20 November 2012, Official Report, columns 459-60W. I apologise for the delay.

JUSTICE

Community Orders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the short-term prison population of requiring a court to include in any community order at least one requirement imposed for the purpose of punishment.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice published its response to the 'Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences' consultation on 23 October 2012. The impact assessment that we published alongside the Government response estimated that the cost of introducing a punitive requirement to all community orders could be between £15 million and £40 million per year. We have not made any estimates of the potential effect on the short-term prison population arising from this proposal.

Community Orders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect on reoffending of requiring a court to include in any community order at least one requirement imposed for the purpose of punishment.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice published its response to the ‘Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences’ consultation on 23 October 2012. We are legislating to require courts to include a punitive element in every community sentence unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	We have undertaken research to determine the relative effectiveness of community order requirements at reducing re-offending, for offenders with similar characteristics. This research is published on the MOJ website and can be located on the following webpage:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/effectiveness-community-order-requirements
	We have also published a full impact assessment which outlines the impact of this proposal on reoffending rates. This can be located on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1/results/community-sentences-response-ia.pdf

Community Orders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect on breach rates of requiring a court to include in any community order at least one requirement imposed for the purpose of punishment.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice published its response to the ‘Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences’ consultation on 23 October 2012. We are legislating to require courts to include a punitive element in every community sentence, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	We have published a full impact assessment of this proposal, including a summary of the potential effect of these proposals on breach rates. This can be located on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1/results/community-sentences-response-ia.pdf

Community Orders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the potential effect will be on the rehabilitative function of the Probation Service of including at least one requirement imposed for the purpose of punishment on all community orders.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice published its response to the ‘Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences’ consultation on 23 October 2012.
	The full research that MOJ published alongside the Government response can be found on the MOJ website on the following webpage:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-and-analysis/moj/effectiveness-community-order-requirements

Convictions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2012, Official Report, column 824W, on Communication Act 2003, how many of the convictions since 2003 were due to (a) racial harassment, (b) sexual harassment, (c) stalking, (d) school bullying, (e) homophobia and (f) other categories of offence.

Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally by the Criminal Justice System Statistics in the Ministry of Justice does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information whether the grossly offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing or false message/matter sent or caused to be sent by electronic communications network for which a defendant was found guilty constituted racial harassment, sexual harassment, stalking, school bullying, homophobia or other aggravating factors.

Human Trafficking

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support scheme operated by the Salvation Army in October 2012; in which (i) region and (ii) local authority area each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to the scheme.

Helen Grant: In October 2012 there were 77 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. Details are provided as follows.
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Referring agency 
			 Albanian Female South East UKBA 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire UKBA 
			 Albanian Female south west UKBA 
			 Albanian Female North West UKBA 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Albanian Female South East Social services 
			 Angolan Female South East Social services 
			 Angolan Female South East Social services 
			 Bangladeshi Female Wales Police 
			 Bangladeshi Female South East UKBA 
			 British Female South East Police 
			 British Male West Midlands NGO 
			 Chinese Female Yorkshire UKBA 
			 Congolese Female Wales NGO 
			 Czech Male South East NGO 
			 Czech Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Eritrea n Female South East Legal representative 
			 Filipino Male South West NGO 
			 Ghanaian Female Yorkshire UKBA 
			 Hungarian Female South East Police 
		
	
	
		
			 Indonesian Female West Midlands Police 
			 Kenyan Female South West UKBA 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Female South East Social services 
			 Namibian Female South East Social services 
			 Nigerian Female South East Self-referral 
			 Nigerian Female South East City Council 
			 Nigerian Female South East Self-referral 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East UKBA 
			 Nigerian Female North West UKBA 
			 Pakistani Female South East NGO 
			 Polish Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Polish Male South West Self-referral 
			 Polish Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Romanian Male South East NGO 
			 Romanian Female South East NGO 
			 Romanian Female West Midlands NGO 
			 Romanian Male West Midlands NGO 
			 Romanian Female South East NGO 
			 Slovakian Male Yorkshire Self-referral 
			 Slovakian Female Yorkshire Self-referral 
			 Slovakian Female South East City Council 
			 Slovakian Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Slovakian Male West Midlands GLA 
			 Slovakian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Slovakian Female North West Police 
			 Ugandan Female Wales NGO 
			 Ugandan Female South East NGO

Judicial Review

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Prime Minister's speech to the CBI on 19 November 2012, 
	(1)  if he will list all the judicial reviews brought since May 2010 that he regards as having been pointless;
	(2)  what plans he has to (a) increase charges and (b) decrease time limits for bringing judicial reviews.

Helen Grant: In 2011 there were around 11,200 applications to apply for judicial review. Of the applications determined in that year, five out of every six were refused permission to proceed by the judge. This indicates that there was a significant volume of claims which did not display an arguable case.
	The written ministerial statement issued on 19 November 2012 confirmed that Government intends to seek views on a package of options that will include shortening time limits in certain cases, restricting the opportunities for an oral reconsideration of the application for permission in certain circumstances, and introducing new fees. The detail of these proposals will be set out in the engagement exercise.

Offenders: Unpaid Work

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of increasing the number of offenders in unpaid work by (a) 25 per cent, (b) 50 per cent and (c) 100 per cent.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice published its response to the “Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences” consultation on 23 October 2012. We are legislating to require courts to include a punitive element in every community sentence, unless there are exceptional circumstances. We have made no specific estimates of the potential costs of the scenarios outlined by the hon. Member.
	The impact assessment that MOJ published alongside the Government response can be found on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1/results/community-sentences-response-ia.pdf

Planning Permission: Judicial Review

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many applications for permission to apply for judicial review of a planning decision made in each of the last 10 years were brought within (a) 0 to six weeks and (b) six to 12 weeks of the decision appealed against;
	(2)  how many applications for permission to apply for judicial review of a planning decision made in each of the last 10 years were brought by (a) developers, (b) other commercial enterprises and (c) other persons or bodies.

Jeremy Wright: Information relating to the date of the planning decision being judicially reviewed and whether the claimant was a developer, a commercial enterprise or other persons or bodies is not held on the Administrative Court Office database in a searchable statistical format. The case files over the 10-year period (1,481 files) would have to be viewed individually to provide the specific information requested.
	The number of judicial reviews received in the last 10 years relating to planning decisions are provided as follows.
	
		
			  JR civil 
			 1998 112 
			 1999 116 
			 2000 121 
			 2001 142 
			 2002 119 
			 2003 122 
			 2004 119 
			 2005 140 
			 2006 142 
			 2007 151 
			 2008 184 
			 2009 165 
			 2010 148 
			 2011 191

Prison Sentences

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking in conjunction with other Government Departments to ensure that the likelihood of imprisonment is the same for all offenders regardless of ethnic background.

Jeremy Wright: Sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking into account all the circumstances of the offence and the offender. Any differences in the type and severity of the sentence given to different offenders may be attributable to a wide range of factors, such as the type and gravity of offence committed, and the individual's previous offending history.
	The sentencing framework and sentencing guidelines, including all aggravating and mitigating factors, are entirely neutral and applicable to all offenders.

Prisoners: Pay

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average hourly wage is for prisoners who undertake work in prison.

Jeremy Wright: Prisoners' pay policy is set out in Prison Service Order (PSO) 4460 (Prisoners' Pay), a copy of which has been placed in the House Library. PSO 4460 prescribes national weekly minimum rates of pay however, within the terms of the Order and subject to the prescribed national weekly minimum rates of pay, governors and directors of contracted prisons have devolved responsibility to devise their own local pay schemes that reflect regime priorities of their establishment.
	PSO 4460 does not anticipate prisoners being paid an hourly rate however, should an establishment be operating their local pay policy based on an hourly rate, these figures are not held centrally and could be collated only by manual checking with individual establishments, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost to his Department was of his recent prison marketisation process, by type of cost.

Jeremy Wright: The PCP2 competition process incurred £3.5 million of expenditure between July 2011 and the end of September 2012. The table gives a breakdown of the type of cost.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Payroll costs 2.3 
			 Non-payroll costs 0.1 
			 Staff-related costs 0.1 
			 Admin running costs 0.4 
			 Professional services 0.7 
			 Total (1)3.5 
			 (1 )Rounded

Prisons: Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which companies placed bids in respect of the prisons marketisation process; and in respect of which prisons each such bid was placed.

Jeremy Wright: The table lists all the companies who originally placed bids for each prison in Phase 2 of the Prison Competition Programme. MITIE subsequently withdrew from the competition. HM Prison Service also placed a bid for each prison.
	
		
			 Competition Companies placing bids 
			 HMP Northumberland (previously HMP Acklington and HMP Castington) G4S, MTC/Amey, Serco, Sodexo 
			 HMP Coldingley GEO, MITIE, MTC/Amey, Sodexo 
			 HMP Durham Interserve, MTC/Amey, Serco, Sodexo 
			 HMP/YOI Hatfield G4S, GEO, Serco 
			 HMP/IRC Lindholme  
			 HMP/YOI Moorland  
			 HMP/YOI Onley G4S, Interserve, MTC/Amey, Sodexo 
			 HMP Wolds G4S, Interserve, MITIE, Sodexo

Working Conditions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the Emergency Workers Obstruction Act 2006 to include all public-facing workers.

Damian Green: We have no plans to extend the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 to include all public-facing workers. The offences under the Act were enacted specifically to address the obstruction or hindrance of emergency workers (and those assisting them) when responding to emergency circumstances. It would not be appropriate to extend these offences to encompass other public-facing workers.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

British Antarctic Survey

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Natural Environment Research Council on the appointment of a full-time director of the British Antarctic Survey and on the timing of that appointment.

David Willetts: I have had discussions with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) about the British Antarctic Survey but not specifically about this appointment. This appointment is a matter for the Chief Executive of NERC.

Broadband: Greater London

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will assess the effect of broadband service suppliers speed of connection on the establishment of start-up businesses in and around Shoreditch;
	(2)  how many meetings he has had with start-up companies or their representatives to discuss broadband connections in and around Shoreditch in the last 12 months.

Michael Fallon: The Government is aware of concern about broadband provision in Tech City and takes every opportunity to encourage suppliers to meet demand in this vibrant and growing technology cluster. In addition, the Government recently announced the provision of up to £25 million funding to make London a super-connected city, and is working with the Greater London Authority to ensure that the particular needs of Tech City entrepreneurs and companies are reflected in their plans for the use of that funding.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not had any meetings to discuss this issue in the last 12 months.

Business: Loans

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on improving access to finance for businesses.

Michael Fallon: The Government has put in place a comprehensive package of support to improve access to finance for businesses:
	We have put in place a package of credit easing measures, to improve the supply of affordable credit to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country, such as the Funding for Lending scheme to support supply of credit to the whole economy, and the £1.2 billion Business Finance Partnership to stimulate the development of alternatives to bank finance.
	We are supporting SMEs who lack sufficient track record or collateral to access bank finance by providing a Government guarantee on their loan. Since May 2010, over 9,400 SMEs have been offered Enterprise Finance Guarantee loans, supporting more than £970 million worth of lending.
	We are working with larger companies to encourage them to make available affordable working capital to their supply chains.
	We are encouraging businesses to export by providing a range of financial support through UK Export Finance—including support for small firms.
	We are increasing our commitment to venture capital investment and bridging the equity gap for early stage innovative SMEs through the Enterprise Capital Fund programme. Since May 2010, £94 million has been invested in over 70 companies.
	We are also encouraging a more enabling environment for investment in SMEs through: (a) tax incentives—having launched the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and expanded the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and (b) the Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, which aims to support angel investments into high growth potential early stage SMEs.
	But we know more still needs to be done to improve access to finance for businesses and restore business confidence to invest. That is why we have announced the creation of a business bank, which will receive £1 billion of funding to stimulate the provision of finance to business and will also consolidate Government finance schemes and advice so they are more easily understood and accessible to businesses.

Exports

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mandate he will be given to increase trade opportunities with Morocco; and what assessment he has made of which business sectors provide key UK export opportunities to that country.

Michael Fallon: We are committed to ensuring UK-based companies are well positioned to make the most of the emerging opportunities in Morocco. UK Trade and Investment's team in Casablanca helps companies in a range of sectors and supports trade missions and businesses at trade fairs in Morocco. After careful assessment of the principal opportunities there, the team is particularly focused on construction and infrastructure; tourism and recreation; safety and security; financial and professional services; energy and environment; water and waste management.
	To enhance our engagement, the Prime Minister recently announced the appointment of Lord Sharman as his Trade Envoy for Morocco. Lord Sharman will be active both in Morocco and to raise the profile of Morocco in the UK.

Financial Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to ensure future international promotion of UK financial services is maximised and co-ordinated;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on steps taken to promote the financial services sector of the structural and operational changes under way within UKTI;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the economic value to the UK economy of the promotion of the UK's financial and professional services sector;
	(4)  what steps he will take to position and promote the UK's financial and professional services in international growth markets.

Michael Fallon: Financial services is a key driver of our economy—it accounts for 10% of our economic output; created an estimated trade surplus of £45 billion in 2011; and—as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in his speech—underpins jobs for 2 million people.
	It is vital then that we continue to promote and protect our world class strengths in this sector in Europe and beyond, where we have intensifying competition from other financial centres. We do this in a number of ways:
	The Secretary of State and ministerial team meet regularly with colleagues in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Treasury to discuss trade issues, including those relating to this sector. In our bilateral meetings with key markets, we push for rules which deliver openness and competitiveness.
	The Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Green travels regularly overseas to promote this sector and UK business in general.
	We work in partnership with industry primarily through TheCityUK who, with their members, set the strategic direction for the international promotion of the financial services industry.
	We work closely with the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London. The Lord Mayor is a unique ambassador for the City and the financial, professional and business service sectors in general, and travels overseas extensively promoting the UK's offer.
	We have teams across the UK and in over 100 markets across the world helping businesses access commercial opportunities and bring investment to the UK. We ensure they are regularly briefed on the needs and interests of the sector.
	We work closely with other key financial bodies, including the London Stock Exchange and Lloyd's and help communicate the unrivalled strengths of London as a global centre for raising capital and risk management.
	With regard to the structural changes taking place in UKTI, financial services remain a priority sector with a dedicated team. As with other such teams, it will increasingly focus its activities on ensuring that UK businesses have access to high value opportunities and are scoping future ones that are emerging, for example in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
	This concentration on helping UK businesses seize the best commercial opportunities brings its focus sharply on the high growth markets including Brazil, China, South East Asia, Russia, Turkey, India and The Gulf. Some of our main activities here include:
	Helping businesses understand the opportunities in these markets. UKTI's global network provides tailored advice and in the last two years it has run a series of events across the UK showcasing the opportunities in China, India, Latin America, Russia and South East Asia.
	With our industry partners, we are working to support new international centres including Moscow, Istanbul and Dubai. Building partnerships like these provide an opening for UK businesses into these markets.
	Promoting the UK as a world centre for Renminbi trading and Islamic Finance.
	With TheCityUK we support City Week 2013—the largest financial services promotional event in the UK. As well as thought-leading discussions on the issues facing the sector, the event is primarily structured around opportunities in a number of high growth markets.

Grants

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what grant giving programmes are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the bodies for which he is responsible; and which such programmes award grants in Scotland.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (the Department) does not in general operate grant giving programmes directly. Rather, it funds independent partner organisations to allocate grant in accordance with their statutory functions and eligibility criteria across the United Kingdom, except where their functions are legally confined to particular countries within it. The following table sets out the latest allocations for 2012-13 to our partner organisations and the scope of the area in which they can spend grant for the programmes they operate. The second table provides details of the main grant programmes which are directly operated by the Department.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Partner organisation Scope Budget (£ million) 
			 Skills Funding Agency England 5034 
			 Medical Research Council UK 575 
			 Natural Environment Research Council UK 327 
			 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK 833 
			 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council UK 396 
			 Economic and Social Research Council UK 167 
			 Arts and Humanities Research Council UK 100 
			 Science and Technology Facilities Council UK 450 
			 Learned Societies and Academies UK 86 
			 Student Loans Company (England) English-domiciled students 1746 
			 Technology Strategy Board UK 383 
			 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) England 5949 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 Grant giving programmes directly operated by BIS Scope Budget (£ million) 
			 Regional Growth Fund (BIS element) UK 30 
			 Grants for Business Investment & Support UK 55 
		
	
	In addition, the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (£125 million in total value), is partly funded by the Department and partly funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government. It is presently managed by Birmingham City Council on behalf of both Departments. The scope of the programme is currently England only, but it could be extended across the UK on a project by project basis depending on co-funding from the devolved Administrations.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the proposed Groceries Code Adjudicator will have sufficient powers to be effective in his or her role; and whether he or she will have the power to impose fines;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that the Groceries Code Adjudicator will have sufficient powers to regulate the industry.

Jo Swinson: The Government is committed to having an effective Adjudicator. The Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill provides for three enforcement measures. The Adjudicator may make recommendations, require retailers to publish information about the breach, or impose financial penalties. The power to impose fines will be held in reserve but we will listen to what Parliament has to say on this issue, and ensure that we have legislation that is fit for purpose.

Manufacturing Advisory Service

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what targets (a) he or (b) officials of his Department have set for the total number of jobs (i) created and (ii) safeguarded by the Manufacturing Advisory Service;
	(2)  what target (a) he or (b) officials of his Department have set for the total cost to the public purse of each job (i) created and (ii) safeguarded by the Manufacturing Advisory Service.

Michael Fallon: The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) aims to help improve the competitiveness of manufacturing. This is reflected in the assessment of the programmes set out in the following table, namely gross value added (GVA), jobs created and jobs safeguarded. Rather than have a target for the total cost per job created or safeguarded, MAS is targeting Return on Investment (ie total GVA outputs/total BIS funding for the programme) which can be compared with the former regionally delivered MAS. The target for Return on Investment at the end of the MAS programme in March 2015 is 20:1 which is more than three times greater than that achieved under regional MAS.
	
		
			 £ million/number/percentage 
			   Value of interventions to end October 2012 
			 Outcome Programme target (March 2015) Forecast(1) Target Variance (percentage) 
			 Gross Value Added (GVA) (£) 1,219 million 303 million 159 million +91 
			 Jobs created (number) 22,956 3,300 2,159 +53 
			 Jobs Safeguarded (number) 50,857 8,853 6,934 +28 
			 (1) Forecast by the businesses who have received the 956 business improvement consultancy projects completed since the launch of the new Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) in January 2012. Forecasts are made at the end of the MAS intervention and cover the following 12 month period. A combination of on-site verification by MAS advisers and independent third party evaluation at least 12 months after the intervention will be used to determine actual values as well as assessing the additionality of MAS support.

Manufacturing Advisory Service

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what targets or benchmarks (a) he or (b) officials of his Department have set for the total number of firms (i) undertaking business improvement consultancy projects, (ii) undertaking manufacturing reviews, (iii) attending best practice or training workshops, (iv) receiving visits and (v) receiving grants through the Manufacturing Advisory Service in each financial year of its operation.

Michael Fallon: The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) is contractually delivered through five different levels of interaction with manufacturers. These are defined in the following table, showing the number of interventions the service provider expects to deliver during the period 2012 to 2015 as forecast at the start of the new national contract in January 2012. Delivery of the total volumes of level 2 and level 4 interventions are contractual targets whereas levels 1, 3 and 5 are demand-led. Both the in-year and total number of interventions at all levels are subject to possible adjustment by BIS to enable changing priorities or economic conditions to be reflected in service delivery.
	
		
			    Forecast number of interventions 
			 Level Definition Description 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 
			 1 Enquiries Free helpdesk and research service 16,000 16,000 13,000 
			 2 Manufacturing Review On-site diagnostic review with manufacturer resulting in a formal action plan. 8,100 9,000 9,900 
			 3 Events Best practice or training workshops 300 300 300 
			 4 Intensive Support Grant aided business improvement consultancy project 3,240 3,600 3,960 
			 5 Referral Referrals from MAS to other support bodies eg UK Trade & Investment 1,800 2,000 2,200

Marketing

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the total cost to the public purse was of the recent logo, branding and corporate identity changes at his Department.

Jo Swinson: Over the last five years the Department has been through three corporate identity changes:
	In 2007-08 the Department spent £17,700 rebranding from DTI to BERR.
	In 2009-10 the Department spent £8,282 rebranding as the newly formed Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In 2012 the Department spent £602.75 on logo, branding and corporate identity changes.

New Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his announcement of 12 November 2012 on entrepreneurs in residence, what the role and duties of the entrepreneurs in residence will be; what civil service grade or equivalent that role will fall under; and whether they will be engaged on a permanent basis.

Michael Fallon: This Department is looking to appoint two entrepreneurs in residence, a person who is just starting up in business and a serial entrepreneur, bringing small business and entrepreneurs further into the heart of government. The entrepreneurs will be office holders (not employees, and therefore not part of the civil service grading structure) and will receive a £10,000 per annum honorarium for one day's work per week. The appointment will be in a personal capacity and will be made for one year. The Department already has effective means of ensuring Ministers and policy makers are in close touch with entrepreneurs, but the entrepreneurs in residence will complement these existing mechanisms with a more day-to-day perspective on the issues facing small businesses in setting up and when looking to grow. Further details on the post and how to apply are available at:
	www.bisrecruitment.com

New Businesses: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the effects of recent new start-ups on the local economy in Barnsley Central constituency.

Michael Fallon: One of the main contributions of new start-ups to economic growth is the number of jobs created. The best estimate we have is that start-ups are responsible for a third of all jobs created(1).
	According to Companies House, there were 450,000 new company registrations in Great Britain in 2011/12—the highest since records began in 1997/98 and up from 360,000 in 2009/10. However, the above data are not available at a constituency level.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes the only data on start-ups that are broken down to a constituency level. According to the ONS, there were 250 business births in the Barnsley Central constituency in 2010. Information for 2011 will be published next month. However, those data are not comparable to the Companies House figures provided above because they relate to VAT/PAYE registered business start-ups.
	(1)( )www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/enterprise/docs/j/11-1326-job-creation-and-destruction-uk-1998-2010

Regional Growth Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2012, Official Report, column 697W, on Regional Growth Fund, how many individual awards have been made under (a) round one and (b) round two of the Regional Growth Fund by region.

Michael Fallon: 176 bids under rounds 1 and 2 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) were conditionally allocated funding subject to confirmatory due-diligence. These bids translate to 239 individual awards as some bids have multiple counterparties. Regional breakdown of individual RGF awards from the two rounds is shown in the following table. The amounts paid out, rounded up or down to the nearest half million, represent the amounts negotiated at final offer stage.
	
		
			 Region Round 1 Round 2 
			  Individual awards Total value (£ million) Individual awards Total value (£ million) 
			 North West 9 28 39 212 
			 West Midlands 9 107 22 126 
			 North East 23 62 55 100 
			 East Midlands 4 20 7 72 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 8 45 23 122 
			 South West 6 8 11 91 
			 South East 3 6 10 75 
			 East of England 0 0 1 10 
			 London 0 0 0 0 
			 National 5 175 4 90 
			 Total 67 451 172 898

Regional Growth Fund: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects in Ashfield constituency have been selected to receive funding from the Regional Growth Fund in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many projects from Ashfield constituency have received final offer letters from the Regional Growth Fund in the latest period for which figures are available.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 9 November 2012
	Based on the information provided in the bid applications, no projects in Ashfield constituency have been selected to receive funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). However, it is possible for bids from other areas to impact on the constituency, thereby providing wider benefits.
	East Midlands has had 11 RGF allocations from Round 1 and 2. Of these, three have been finalised, five have agreed terms and conditions and three have withdrawn. A further nine bids have been selected from this region in Round 3, and these bidders have until 19 January to agree terms and conditions.

Regional Growth Fund: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the likely effect of the rejection of Liverpool Mayoral Investment's bid for the third round of the Regional Growth Fund on investment and growth in Liverpool.

Michael Fallon: Over 400 bids were received in the third round seeking £2.7 billion, from a budget that was limited to £1 billion. In the Liverpool city region, there were 24 bids, of which eight were programme bids. In this context, with applications for two and a half times the money available, it was not possible to support all the bids that were received.
	A number of bids that have been selected for due diligence and contracting will be of direct benefit to the city, including RedX Pharma and the School of Tropical Medicine, both of which should reinforce Mayoral ambitions for the Knowledge Quarter. The selected programme bid from the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership will benefit businesses throughout the city region. Furthermore, through the city deal, there is a range of additional tools available to support Liverpool's ambitious vision.
	Liverpool was also successful in the first two rounds of the RGF, with a total of £116 million for the Liverpool city region for both rounds.

Students: Fees and Charges

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the CPI on his estimates of levels of tuition fee repayment.

David Willetts: No assessment has been made of the effect of changes in the consumer prices index (CPI) on the levels of tuition fee repayment as they are not dependent on each other.
	Loan repayment forecasts are based on the macro-economic forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and the repayment forecasts are updated when the OBR publish updated forecasts.

Trade Promotion

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider implementing the recommendations in the report by the British Chambers of Commerce Exporting is Good for Britain but Breaking into New Markets Requires Planning on reforming publically-backed trade promotion schemes.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The Government welcomes the survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which highlights the importance of companies identifying a strategic approach to exporting. The Governments' trade promotion organisation, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), provides a wide range of support to business. Much of that support, particularly its trade development programme called Passport to Export aimed at new and inexperienced exporters, emphasises the importance of developing an export plan as part of an over-arching business strategy.
	In highlighting the need for reform of trade promotion schemes, the BCC focused on two UKTI services: the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS), and the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP). For OMIS, the pricing structure and strategy is under constant review. The charging structure is based on firms paying for services used, irrespective of company size, providing support for all firms but with additional assistance for target groups. To ensure support is targeted, UKTI offers grants and subsidies to reduce OMIS costs to small and medium-sized enterprises where it can make the most difference, such as encouraging new exporters or exporters to high growth markets.
	On TAP £2 million has been added to the initial budget for 2012/13. The programme is now more flexible and covers UK business lounges and visitor missions to overseas fairs as well as grant provision for SMEs. UKTI planned these changes to TAP, and continues to deliver the programme, in partnership with accredited trade organisations including members of the BCC.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Antarctic Survey

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 2 November 2012, Official Report, column 538, on the Antarctic Bill, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the National Environment Research Council to ensure that a full-time director of the British Antarctic Survey is appointed as soon as possible.

Mark Simmonds: I have not had any discussions about the appointment of a new director of the British Antarctic Survey, as Ministers have no role in this matter. However, I understand that the Natural Environment Research Council will discuss the recruitment and those aspects of the role which are associated with the Antarctic Treaty System, with my officials.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Burma on the formation of a joint domestic and international board to investigate the number of political activists in Burma's prisons and detention centres.

Hugo Swire: In September the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met with Burmese Foreign Minister, U Wunna Maung Lwin, during the UN General Assembly in New York and pressed for the Burmese Government to set up an independent, non-political process for assessing those still detained. He also urged the Burmese government to lift restrictions on those who had been released, including on their travel.
	We continue to press the Burmese Government for the unconditional release of all political prisoners at every opportunity. My upcoming visit to Burma in December will provide me a timely opportunity to raise those concerns again directly with senior members of the Burmese authorities.

Commonwealth

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Commonwealth Ministerial meetings to which the Government has sent representatives in each of the last two years.

Hugo Swire: The Government aims to send representatives to all Commonwealth Ministerial meetings. In the last two years, Ministers have attended the following: the Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting (2012); the Commonwealth Ministerial Task Force meeting (2012); the Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (2012); the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (2011 and 2012) and the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting (2011).
	The Government was also represented by senior officials at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (2011 and 2012); the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (2011 and 2012) and the Commonwealth Consultative Group on the Environment (2011 and 2012).
	The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Minister for Trade and Investment, and the then Minister for the Commonwealth attended the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and its various side meetings in Perth.

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department and its associated public bodies.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and associated public bodies recruit staff on the basis of open, fair and merit based recruitment competitions. We use UK-based recruitment agencies to run recruitment campaigns to attract the best staff into the organisation. We use employment companies based in the UK to employ temporary and contracted resource.

Middle East

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of people killed (a) in Gaza by Israeli arms and (b) in Israel by arms originating from Gaza (i) from 1 January to 31 October 2012 and (ii) on each day since 31 October 2012.

Alistair Burt: We have received reports that there was one Israeli death due to rocket fire from Gaza between 1 January 2012 and 31 October 2012. Since 31 October 2012, there have been reports of five Israeli deaths due to rocket fire from Gaza.
	We have received reports that there have been 57 Gazan deaths between 1 January 2012 and 31 October 2012 as a result of Israeli airstrikes or Palestinian rockets. Since 31 October 2012, there have been reports of 160 Palestinian deaths in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes or Palestinian rockets.

Pakistan

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the results of the Gallup survey conducted on Pakistan for his Department on 20 July 2012.

Alistair Burt: Gallup Pakistan was commissioned by the tri-departmental Conflict Pool to undertake a range of polling in January 2012, to support UK political objectives in Pakistan. Gallup Pakistan own the data and the decision on whether to publish it rests with them, not the British Government.

SCOTLAND

A.G. Barr: Britvic

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the merger of A. G. Barr and Britvic;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects on employment of the merger of A. G. Barr and Britvic;
	(3)  when he last met the chief executive of A. G. Barr plc; and when he next plans to do so.

David Mundell: Ministerial colleagues and I have been monitoring the merger talks between A. G. Barr and Britvic with interest and welcome the news that the headquarters of the new entity Barr Britvic Soft Drinks plc will be located in Cumbernauld.
	I understand that the new company has consequent operational changes under review. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) will discuss the merger with Roger White, the chief executive of A. G. Barr, in the near future, to seek assurances that any subsequent job losses can be minimised.

Common Fisheries Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Fisheries Minister in the Scottish Government to discuss reform of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: I have regular discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment in the Scottish Government on matters affecting his portfolio, including reform of the common fisheries policy. We spoke most recently on 1 November 2012.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees in his Department are paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has only one member of staff whose salary is more than £80,000 or £100,000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 603W, on Bangladesh, what proof of identity was supplied in order for a recipient to receive a beneficiary ID card.

Alan Duncan: The name, address, spouse's name, photo and signature of the recipient were taken at the time of selection. National ID cards were used to prove identity where available. Community verification was also used to confirm identity, as not all Bangladeshi citizens have written proof of identity (birth certificate or identity card).

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 602W, on Bangladesh, what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the revoking of the charity licence for the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity.

Alan Duncan: UK aid to the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) was provided to improve the working condition of 34,806 garment workers, mainly women, by forming employee groups and committees to bargain with factory owners, and discussions with factory managers and buyers.
	The grant was originally for three years from January 2009 to December 2011. When BCWS's registration was cancelled in the middle of 2011, the non-government organisation (NGO) could no longer receive foreign funding, and was unable to complete the work it had planned to do in support of these workers. However the Manusher Jonno Foundation continues to fund other NGOs to support other workers to obtain a better minimum wage, safer working conditions and to reduce violence against women workers.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 602W, on Bangladesh, how much aid funding from her Department has passed through the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity in the last five years.

Alan Duncan: Manusher Jonno Foundation channelled £44,200 of UK aid to the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) in 2.5 years from 2009 to 2011.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 603W, on Bangladesh, what methodology her Department used to determine the figure of £11 per family per month.

Alan Duncan: The support from the UK contributed to a wider response managed by the World Food Programme (WFP). From August to December 2011, WFP had been providing food directly, as food markets were affected by the floods and insufficient food was available. As markets recovered, WFP started into providing cash, which was the part of the programme supported by DFID. The food ration had consisted of 266g of rice, and 20g of pulses per person per day, covering nearly half of the daily calorie and protein requirements of the household members, to complement the Government of Bangladesh's provision of rice. £11 was the cash value equivalent of this support, to ensure that households could purchase the food requirement which also has the benefit of supporting the re-establishment of local markets.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 603W, on Bangladesh, how much of the operational cost was spent on (a) staff, (b) transport, (c) local security and (d) other.

Alan Duncan: As noted in the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 603W, 45 million taka (approximately £360,000) was delivered in cash directly to beneficiaries. The operational costs of delivering those payments were £48,000. The breakdown of the operational costs (converted into pounds) was as follows:
	(a) Staff: £19,576 on non-governmental organisation staff, £18,600 for three World Food Programme staff;
	(b) Transport: £3,859 for World Food Programme staff travel, £858 for vehicle leasing, £966 for vehicle maintenance;
	(c) £353 for local security; and
	(d) other, including £3,747 for office rental, office supplies, utilities and communications (IT and phone bills).

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 598-9W, on Bangladesh, how the budget for the project was distributed to each component.

Alan Duncan: Of the total budget, 62% is allocated to the component on Medium Term Budgeting and Financial Accountability, 20% to the component on Strengthening the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and 6% to the component on Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight.
	3% is allocated to work on Planning and Investment Management, 2% to a citizen's component promoting public accountability, and 3% to analytical work by the World Bank. 4% is allocated to World Bank supervision and management.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 598-9W, on Bangladesh, if she will estimate how much was spent on technical training per official trained.

Alan Duncan: So far, 3,119 Bangladeshi officials have received some form of technical training from the Strengthening Public Expenditure Management (SPEMP) project, at a total cost of £228,000. This amounts to an average cost of £73 per person trained.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 604W, on Bangladesh, if she will provide a breakdown of the cost of civil service training by each category of cost.

Alan Duncan: The cost category for this project was public sector policy and administrative management. Training costs made up 62% of the programme budget, and consisted of fees, accommodation, travel and subsistence.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 602-3W, on Bangladesh, how applicants for emergency cash transfers demonstrate that they met the criteria for receipt of such transfers.

Alan Duncan: Applicants explained their eligibility against the criteria to non-government organisations (NGOs) partners, which was then confirmed (or disputed) by community members. This system is appropriate when people do not have written records of income or assets, but do have strong community networks. The NGOs compiled the initial list of recipients, in consultation with community members, community leaders and local authorities. The World Food Programme undertook additional beneficiary verification to ensure they met the criteria through household visits before endorsing the final list.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 599-600W, on Bangladesh, under what cost categories the funding for programmes was spent.

Alan Duncan: Of the total project budget of £4.971 million, a total of 57% was spent on programmes over the lifetime of the project. The figure of 48% given in the answer of 6 November 2012 was incorrect as it was calculated based only on one phase of the project and not the project as a whole.
	Of this programme budget, 44% was spent on staff costs relating to the production of Sanglap, 14% on travel, 18% on event management, 14% on equipment and other production costs, and 10% on investigative reports.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 599-600W, on Bangladesh, how the monitoring and evaluation of the Sanglap II project was implemented.

Alan Duncan: Audience research was conducted throughout the project. This included quantitative surveys in 2007, 2008 and 2009; feedback from the live audience after each show; and focus group discussions with Bangladesh Sanglap viewers and listeners (2007, 2009) and This Week in Parliament viewers (2009). DFID reviews were conducted in 2008 and 2009 and on project completion.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, columns 599-600W, on Bangladesh, whether any of the 10 pilots of This Week in Parliament were broadcast.

Alan Duncan: All 10 pilots of This Week in Parliament were broadcast.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 601W, on Bangladesh, how much the independent chartered accounting firm have been paid for the audit of the funding stream.

Alan Duncan: DFID has spent £73,245 in the last three years on 70 independent audits of the accounts of selected civil society organisations funded by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF). Five Bangladeshi audit firms were used for this work.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department has provided to organisations based on the Thailand-Burma border to support refugees and people displaced by conflict and human rights abuses.

Alan Duncan: Between 2009-12 DFID has been providing a programme of assistance, totalling around £9 million, for humanitarian and protection support to over 140,000 refugees in nine camps in Thailand and internally displaced people in conflicted-affected border areas of Burma. This month DFID announced further, increased, support for organisations based on the Thailand-Burma border delivering assistance in areas including food, shelter, health care and legal assistance with additional focus on preparations of refugees for the possibility of return. Funding for this is likely to exceed £13 million.

Burma

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what plans she has to extend and increase humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people in Kachin State, Burma;
	(2)  what assistance the Government is providing to internally displaced people in Kachin State, Burma.
	(3)  what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian needs of the Kachin people displaced by conflict.

Alan Duncan: The instability in Kachin and Shan states, which started in June 2011, has led to the displacement of over 70,000 people, loss of lives and livelihoods, and damage to infrastructure. Humanitarian priorities include the provision of shelter, water and sanitation, and food for those displaced. The security situation makes access difficult, particularly for international organisations and the United Nations. Humanitarian organisations have, however, had some level of access to displaced populations in hard-to-reach areas.
	DFID has provided £2 million to support humanitarian needs in Kachin through a number of local non-governmental organisations. This is helping to meet the needs of around 27,500 internally displaced people, largely in border camps not controlled by Government, for food security, shelter, water, sanitation, health and bedding. We continue to review the needs of the internally displaced people in Kachin but at this stage do not have any firm plans to provide additional funding.

Developing Countries: Environment Protection

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the importance to the delivery of Millennium Development Goal 7 on ensuring environmental sustainability of supporting the work of national parliaments and legislatures within developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports the delivery of all the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015, including MDG7 “Ensure Environmental Sustainability”.
	National parliaments and legislatures have a key role in the delivery of all the MDGs, including MDG7, through their responsibility to put in place legislation on management of natural resources and in scrutinising the actions of government. For example, DFID is helping to improve forest governance by working with countries to put in place and enforce new legislation on illegal timber. DFID supports 13 country parliaments directly as well as supporting the National Democratic Institute, the United Nations Development Programme and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, among others, all of which offer support to strengthen democratic processes and parliaments.
	More information on DFID's support for MDG7 can be found in DFID's “Supporting a Healthy Environment” publication which can be found on our website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/What-we-do/Key-Issues/Climate-and-environment/

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the ability of the current health research and development system to meet the needs of people with HIV in developing countries; if she will support proposals from the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) Consultative Expert Working Group for a binding convention on research and development at the forthcoming WHO meeting on 26 November 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: Health research, to meet the needs of people with HIV in developing countries, is conducted by a number of organisations. The UK, along with these other international agencies, is funding research into new products that prevent acquisition of the virus, new treatment options, better ways to deliver existing drugs/treatments, and research to help us understand the wider socio-economic factors that drive the epidemic.
	The UK welcomed the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development, which aims to improve the research and development system for HIV. We recognise the need for greater coordination of research and for more effective funding mechanisms. We are concerned that agreement on a legally binding instrument would be very difficult to reach and would delay action. We favour the early establishment of a coordination mechanism tasked with identifying research priorities and funding gaps, and recommending appropriate financing mechanisms.

Developing Countries: Legislatures

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of projects (a) funded and (b) being considered by her Department support the work of (i) national legislatures and (ii) national parliaments in developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development's (DFID) expenditure is classified according to input sector codes agreed at the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD DAC). There is no sub-code for legislatures, and therefore we cannot give an accurate picture of funding without investigating this manually across DFID's portfolio, which would be extremely time consuming and valid only for a short time. Details of DFID's planned, operational and complete projects are published in a database accessed through the DFID website:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
	DFID's support to parliaments is wide ranging. For example, it has included work in Nepal to help ensure marginalised groups are brought into the political process, plus work to improve the scrutiny role of specific parliamentary bodies, such as the public accounts committees in Uganda and Rwanda.

Developing Countries: Poverty

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expertise and understanding her officials have on the importance of engaging with national legislatures in the pursuit of poverty reduction targets in developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID continually invests in the skills of its officials. Governance specialists, currently numbering over 120, lead on our work with national legislatures. In order to become a governance adviser a range of competencies are tested, including knowledge of political systems. There is a coherent body of evidence that suggests open political systems including strong legislatures help sustain conditions for growth and poverty reduction. This is consistent with the “Golden Thread” of development referred to by the Prime Minister.
	DFID's support to parliaments is wide-ranging. For example it has included work in Nepal to help ensure marginalised groups were brought into the constitution making process, plus work to improve the scrutiny role of specific parliamentary bodies, such as the public accounts committees in Uganda and Rwanda.

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in her Department and its associated public bodies.

Alan Duncan: DFID is implementing the recommendations of the Government's review into the tax arrangements of senior public sector appointments.
	DFID also complies fully with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles when employing public sector staff. Permanent vacancies are advertised widely and appointed through fair and open competition. Temporary vacancies are filled through nominated fixed-term contracts or though employment companies. All employment companies used to provide temporary workers are registered in the UK.

Grants

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what grant giving programmes are operated by (a) her Department and (b) the bodies for which she is responsible; and which such programmes award grants in Scotland.

Alan Duncan: Funding opportunities are listed on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	These include volunteering opportunities as well as grants for civil society organisations, businesses, schools and higher education institutions working to reduce poverty in developing countries. Many of these opportunities are open to organisations based in the UK and in DFID's priority countries. Organisations based in Scotland can apply for any funding opportunities available to UK-based organisations. DFID works closely with NIDOS (Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland), which provides support to civil society groups working overseas.

Haiti

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department is considering offering humanitarian assistance to Haiti.

Alan Duncan: In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean, DFID has provided vital humanitarian assistance to Haiti and Cuba, the countries in the Caribbean most affected by the hurricane.
	The UK will contribute £7 million for Haiti and £850,000 for Cuba, to meet food, emergency shelter, water and sanitation needs. An assessment team has also been deployed to the region to ensure a rigorous approach is taken to assess the most urgent humanitarian priorities and ensure UK funding is used to achieve the greatest impact on the ground.
	DFID will continue to monitor the situation, consulting other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in our response to this humanitarian emergency.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what types of medical assessments are carried out by Atos Healthcare for his Department.

Mark Hoban: Atos Healthcare provides medical advice and assessments to assist DWP decision makers in determining a claimant's entitlement to the following benefits:
	Incapacity Benefit (Reassessment)
	Employment and Support Allowance
	Disability Living Allowance
	Attendance Allowance
	Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
	Veteran Agency War Pension Claims

Carer's Allowance

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the of the likely number of claimants of carer's allowance following the introduction of personal independence payment; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of claimants of carer's allowance if disability living allowance were not reformed.

Esther McVey: The available information on the impact of PIP on carer's allowance is published in the personal independence payment (PIP) impact assessment (May 2012). The impact on carer's is covered in paragraphs 23-26. This can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dla-reform-wr2011-ia.pdf
	DWP publishes information on forecasted caseloads and expenditure on a range of benefits, including carer's allowance, at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure

Employment Schemes: Young People

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many youth contract placements have been started in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the Coventry local authority area to date.

Mark Hoban: The Youth Contract went live in April 2012 and includes extra work experience places, including those that offer training and guaranteed interviews through sector-based work academies. This provides an offer of a place for every 18 to 24-year-old who wants one, before they enter the Work programme.
	Official statistics for work experience and sector-based work academy starts from the start of the Youth Contract in April 2012 to May 2012 show:
	
		
			 Work experience starts (April and May) 
			  Number 
			 England 8,130 
			 West Midlands 950 
		
	
	
		
			 Coventry 40 
		
	
	
		
			 Sector-based work academy starts (April and May) 
			  Number 
			 England 2,340 
			 West Midlands 240 
			 Coventry 20 
		
	
	These figures are based on official statistics released on 15 August 2012.
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_aug12.pdf

Housing Benefit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost of exempting people with a disability from the social sector size criteria for housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that the cost in 2013-14 of exempting claimants affected by the social sector size criteria measure where either the claimant or partner reports a Disability Discrimination Act recognised disability would be around £300 million.
	Estimated numbers of claimants affected by the social sector size criteria measure in 2013-14 where either the claimant or partner reports a Disability Discrimination Act recognised disability and their estimated average weekly reductions in housing benefit are contained in the impact assessment of the housing benefit change, which can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf

Housing Benefit

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of housing benefit claimants who are also foster carers.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Older People

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent from the public purse in social expenditure on older people in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: Benefit expenditure tables are published and can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/budget_2012_300712.xls
	The summary table includes pensioner benefit expenditure.
	Figures relate to Great Britain, or to people resident overseas who are receiving Great Britain benefits, except for over 75 TV licences, which also cover Northern Ireland.
	Benefit expenditure in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in his Department are paid more than (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Mark Hoban: At the end of October 2012 there were around 107,000 civil servants in DWP. There are currently 112 employees paid more than £80,000, of whom 43 are paid more than £100,000.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of households that are actively seeking work will move to universal credit through the (a) new claims and (b) natural changes route by April 2014;
	(2)  when claimants of (a) housing benefits, (b) tax credits, (c) jobseeker's allowance, (d) income support and (e) employment and support allowance will start to be transferred to universal credit through managed change;
	(3)  when he plans to start transferring claimants to universal credit through managed change; and what estimate he has made of the number of households that will be transferred to universal credit through managed change by (a) October 2017 and (b) December 2017;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of new claimants that will move on to universal credit between (a) October 2013 and April 2014 and (b) May 2014 and October 2017.

Mark Hoban: The universal credit migration approach published on 1 November 2011 set out initial propositions for managing the build-up of claims to universal credit.
	The number of households that will be transferred to universal credit; the proportion of households that are actively seeking work who will move onto universal credit through the new claims or natural changes route by April 2014; and the number of people moving onto universal credit through a new claim will depend on the detailed arrangements for managing the build-up of the case load, which are currently being finalised.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Jobcentre Plus in placing jobseekers into work ahead of their referral to the Work Programme.

Mark Hoban: An evaluation of the Jobcentre Plus Offer was commissioned in late 2011. The evaluation was commissioned to consider the operation and effect of this new way of working on claimant outcomes.
	Findings from the first year of the evaluation of the Jobcentre Plus Offer were published on 14 November and can be viewed at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/report_abstracts/rr_abstracts/rra_814.asp
	We are looking carefully at the findings to ensure that the offer successfully delivers across claimant groups and that appropriate support is available to help all claimants move closer to, or into, work.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the level of Work Programme referrals for employment and support allowance recipients on the income of the programme's third sector sub-contractors.

Mark Hoban: The Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Work Programme. This will explore the experiences of organisations within the supply chain, including those from the third sector. Any concerns these organisations have in relation to referral volumes for employment and support allowance recipients will be explored. Findings will be available from early 2013 with a final report published in 2014-15.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which 10 local authorities have had the (a) highest and (b) lowest number of residents referred to the Work programme since June 2011.

Mark Hoban: Official statistics on Work programme referrals can be found on the Department’s website via the DWP tabulation tool:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance on use of the tabulation tool can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Problem Gambling

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps she plans to take to monitor the prevalence of problem gambling; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Gambling Commission conducts quarterly surveys to provide information about gambling participation and, through the Health Survey for England and Scottish Health Survey, is collecting data on problem gambling.

Media Ownership

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans she has for the future regulation of media ownership.

Maria Miller: Regulation of media ownership is of paramount importance to the health of our democracy and our media industries. Lord Justice Leveson has been asked to consider media ownership as part of his report on the culture, practices and ethics of the press. I will therefore wait to receive his report which is expected shortly.

Digital Technology

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what funding her Department has allocated to each of its initiatives to promote digital inclusion;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to promote digital inclusion.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not fund any digital inclusion initiatives as the Cabinet Office is responsible for digital inclusion. However, the Department does work with GO-ON UK including in the oversight of the Department's broadband programmes, which are aimed at providing superfast broadband for 90% of the population and access to a service of a minimum of 2 Mbps for everybody else by 2015, and will support and enable digital inclusion. The Government has committed a total of £680 million funding for broadband programmes in the lifetime of this Parliament.

Football

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the future of football governance; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: In their response to the Select Committee, the football authorities have shown that they are committed to reforming the governance of the game. They have already begun to implement this through the reform of the FA Board. We expect further reforms, including the introduction of a new licensing system for clubs and rationalisation of the relationship between the FA Board and its council, by summer 2013.

Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on training courses run by Common Purpose in each of the last five years.

Hugh Robertson: During the period for which records are held (from 2009 onwards), there is no record of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport having paid Common Purpose for training.